Consider others better than yourself

Philippians
Phil 2:3 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
There's not much to add to this verse; it pretty much says it for itself - we've got to get rid of self!  That's tough to do; for some reason, we were hardwired to love ourselves a lot, and it takes a lot of work sometimes to put other people ahead.  I'm going to work on that today!

Praying in lonely places

Key verse
Philippians 1:21 -  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Luke
One verse that struck me in today's reading was Luke 5:16 - "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."  I thought of that story in another gospel where the disciples were trying to heal a boy who was demon-possessed, but they couldn't.  Then Jesus came and healed the boy, and told his disciples "This kind can only come out by prayer."  Jesus had simply rebuked the evil spirit, and it came out.  But I believe the reason he was successful whereas his disciples weren't was because he spent a lot of time in prayer, as we can see in Luke 5:16.  Jesus was always on the 'same page' as his Father.  He knew what was going on in the spiritual world.  The disciples weren't at the same level of communion with God at that point, and so could not rebuke demons as easily as Jesus could.
I think we should follow in Jesus's example here.  How often do you pray, and how often do you do it in quiet places where you can focus?  I know I should be praying more.  Let's work on that!

The next big thing

2 Kings
The story of Naaman exemplifies how we must be willing to swallow our pride so that God can do his work in our lives.  We may often wonder when God is going to do his next big thing in our lives, but all the time perhaps he is working in our lives in small ways, stretching and growing us day by day.
In addition, while we are holding out for the opportunity to make ourselves shine, we could be actually keeping God from working in our lives at all!  This story in 2 Kings 5 shows us that once we humble ourselves, God's Spirit can move through us, enabling him to do the work and bringing him the glory that he is due.

A light for my path

Psalms
Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."  That is why reading the bible is so useful.  God speaks to us through the words he left for us, and guides us in the way we should go.

The armour of God

Ephesians
I was reading a commentary by William Wiersbe on the last chapter in Ephesians.  He said something that was so true, and yet often forgotten.  In the last chapter in Ephesians, Paul talks about putting on the armour of God so that we can wage war against the forces of evil.  We always have to be on our guard.  Wiersbe said that, "as believers, we do not fight for victory - we fight from victory."  That is to say, victory is already ours in Christ!  We just need to keep walking in that truth. How do we do this?  We wear the armour of God.  Check out Ephesians 6:13-18 for Paul's description of the armour.

In a gentle whisper

1 Kings
This is one of my favourite passages in the bible.
1 Kings 9:9-14 -

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

In this passage, Elijah is at his wits' end because of the persecution in Israel.  God comes to him, but not in power or violence, rather, in a gentle whisper.  I think that helps us stop and think, reflect, and really pay attention to what God has to say.  It's easy to get caught up in a windstorm, and afterwards to forget about God when it gets quiet.  But when we start out quiet, and hear God then, maybe then it's easier to hear him in the noise?

God is powerful

1 Kings
Where is God's power in your life?  1 Kings 18 shows that even when society seems to be going downhill and people give themselves to false gods, God will still come through and show himself in powerful ways to those who follow him.
Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal and had them try and get their god to set fire to their sacrifice to him.  No matter what they did, Baal did not respond.  He couldn't; he wasn't real.  These prophets were the ruling priests of the day, endorsed by the king, but they still couldn't make anything happen.  Elijah was one of the king's major enemies, he was on the run and living in the wilderness.  When he doused his sacrifice in litres of water, an onlooker may have assumed he was committing "spiritual suicide" as it were, ensuring that his sacrifice would not be burnt up.  However, God sent his fire down and burned down the sacrifice, the altar of stones, the soil around it, and all the water!  That's power!
We have access to that power on a daily basis because Christ opened up the way for us to talk with God whenever we want.  Let's not waste this access, but like Elijah, live in constant communion with God, and when we need him to, God will come through for us.

Cult of Dionysus

Ephesians
The cult of Dionysus, an ancient religion coming from Asia to Greece, involved sensual, orgiastic ceremonies, and lots of wine.  People would become intoxicated and do all sorts of immoral acts.  The drunkenness brought on by the wine was often equated to being filled with the spirit of Dionysus (this information derived from the Archaeological Study Bible).
Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them that they should avoid even the hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity.  Instead of getting drunk on wine, which some may have thought would lead to being filled by the Holy Spirit, Paul told them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We don't have to use outward means to try and create a holy, God-filled experience.  God lives in us and works through us directly!  When we earnestly seek him, he will fill us up.

Subject ourselves to God

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:17-24 discusses how the Ephesians didn’t indulge in sensuality and earthly desires.  According to the Archaeological Study Bible, many ancient Greeks sought to ignore and not succumb to such desires; it was the height of mental maturity to refuse to indulge oneself.  This refusal of self, however, is not entirely possible on our own.  In Christ, though, we can be made new in the attitude of our minds.  In Christ, we can subject our desires to God’s will, and become righteous and holy.  So we don’t necessarily have to ignore what we want, but we have to give it to God so that what comes out is purified and righteous.

Be gracious to me

Psalm 119:58 - I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

Is this verse true for you?  I read it and thought, yes Lord, be gracious to me.  But have I sought him with all my heart?  Just something for you to consider as we look toward this Easter weekend.

Solomon and his gold

1 Kings
In 1 Kings 10:14, we read that Solomon received yearly 666 talents of gold.  That number made me curious, but many theologians don't bother to comment on the significance (or insignificance) of this number.  Some websites do mention this link between Solomon and 666 and other mentions of 666.  However, my personal and somewhat uneducated opinion is that we really shouldn't bother to place much stock in the appearance of the 'devil number', at least in this context.  Even with a simple comparison of when the book of 1 Kings was written versus the book of Daniel (the next Old Testament book to mention 666), we can see that 1 Kings came before Daniel.  Daniel was the first to link the number with the 'Beast', so it seems somewhat straightforward that the author of 1 Kings did not equate Solomon with the devil or some other such evil figure.
What does this mean for us today?  I wouldn't put much stock in trying to find symbols and meanings in the scriptures.  If you are reading the bible with an open heart and mind, ready and waiting to hear from the Holy Spirit, you will likely garner all the teachings you need to live a holy and godly life.  Though sometimes finding conspiracy theories are kinda fun...

Turn us toward You

Psalms
"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain" (Ps. 119:36).  This verse in Psalm 119 caught my eye.  As you read your bible, pay attention to what might stick out to you, and consider why God might be directing you to that particular passage.  It may be for a specific reason.

Once we were far away

Ephesians
 "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world."  That's Ephesians 2:12.  What a bleak picture that paints!  Without God in the world...
Fortunately, God didn't leave us in that predicament.  Verse 13 says "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."  That is a good reminder for me to live in the truth that I am near to God.  That should change how I live; without hope, life is bleak.  With this hope in Christ, I can live every day in confidence and joy.

Faith and works

Ephesians
Here it is, right in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.  We are saved by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-10).  And yet, it also says that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works!  So while we are not saved by what we do, we need to demonstrate our complete faith and trust in God by joining him in expanding his kingdom on earth, by doing good works.

Pray it like you mean it

Ephesians
What a powerful prayer!  Paul prayed for the Ephesians (in Eph. 1:15-19): "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

When I read this, I thought, wow, this prayer actually has some power behind it!  So, consider for yourself, as I also plan to do, who can you pray this prayer for?

Counting the fighting men

Key verse
Mark 16:6 - “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him."


2 Samuel
In today's reading in 2 Samuel 24, David counted the number of men in his army.  He did this because God was angry with the Israelites, 'and he incited David against them.'  I see this act of David's as a lack of trust in God.  He needed to know exactly what position he could hold against his enemies, rather than relying on God to come through for him regardless of the situation.
I think we can learn from this situation and realize that in our own lives, we don't need to know exactly what's going on.  For example, we don't need to count our pennies and stay rigidly within certain guidelines; we should have the freedom to rest in God's provision for our needs.  Instead of restraining yourself from something God may want you to do, go forward in faith, even if it may not seem that you're equipped for it right away.

Shortest Psalm

Psalms
Since this is the shortest psalm in the bible, I figured it could have the honour of being posted for today's reading.
Psalm 117:

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.  For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord.

It certainly has an uplifting message, doesn't it?

Freedom in Christ

Galatians 5:1
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

The thieves on the cross

Mark
I noticed in Mark 15:32 that is said the robbers who were crucified with Jesus heaped insults on him.  However, in Luke 23:39, only one thief insulted him while the other requested that Jesus remember him.
After a little bit of research, I learned about a literary term called 'synecdoche', which means that a whole can be used to refer to a part, or vice versa.  Thus, the scriptures can still be in agreement even with these differences between the texts.

Heirs of God

Galatians 4:6-7
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

Atheists...don't have no songs

Check out this youtube video (click here)!  Steve Martin performed with the Steep Canyon Rangers at a jazzfest in the States.  You know how we have a number of hymnals and never run out of songs to sing?  Well, this is a humourous take on what it would be like to be an atheist - do they have hymnals?

A way back

2 Samuel
Sometimes, it seems like the people in the Old Testament would have misunderstood God, just because the stories seem so harsh and judgmental.  Lots of people dying, and not a lot of grace.  But in 2 Samuel 14:14, we see that they did actually understood what God was after.  A wise woman said to King David "But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him."
God is always trying to get us to come back to Him.  His Son, Jesus, is the ultimate example of how far God was willing to go to reconcile us to Himself.  We just have to accept that He loves us that much!

A trial or a circus?

Mark
What a joke!  That's what the supposed 'trial' at the Sanhedrin was that Jesus had to go through.  I was reading in William Barclay's commentary on Mark 14:53-65 that the Jews had very specific rules about how to conduct a trial in the Sanhedrin, which is the supreme court of the Jews.  For one thing, they were supposed to meet in their own building, allow one night to pass before delivering a judgment, question the witnesses separately and take their testimony only if they all agreed.  Well, upon reading the passage in Mark, we can see that the Sanhedrin met in secret in the middle of the night, the false witnesses couldn't agree on the testimony to bring against Jesus, and the court pronounced a judgment almost instantly.  Indeed, they had really decided beforehand what verdict they would come to.
These people were so intent on calling Jesus a law-breaker and a sinner that they themselves were breaking laws to condemn him!  The truth was clearly on Jesus's side.

Life in Christ

Galatians
2:20-21 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”


We are not saved by works, but through faith in Christ.

A matter of the heart

Galatians
After following the commandments of the Old Testament, I think some of the Jews may have been scared to follow Jesus and put all those laws aside.  It seemed to be ingrained in them to follow the laws, or else.  To give that up and live in freedom - it would be freeing indeed, but also difficult to become accustomed to.  I'm not too surprised that Paul had to tell some of the Galatians to ignore the old laws and live by the spirit instead.  Sometimes, it might even seem like legalism is the easier way, rather than having to struggle with maintaining a right relationship with God.  In the end though, the new testament brought in through Jesus Christ is far more fulfilling, and ultimately the only effective way to meet with God.

God's grace

Mark
Isn't the grace of God wonderful?  He is so long-suffering and patient.  Today's reading in Mark 14 drove that point home for me.  Jesus was nearing his crucifixion, and he spoke with his disciples.  He said that they would all fall away.  Even though Peter denied this, Jesus reaffirmed that indeed, they would deny him at a crucial moment.  For his whole ministry, Jesus drew these men to him and poured his spirit and words into them, likely knowing that they would desert him.  But God loved them so much that he gave them a chance to come back afterward.  And they certainly did, spreading the good news of Christ across the entire ancient world!
God loves us all and gives us all second chances. Take heart from the situation of the disciples, and if you've fallen away, decide now to recommit, and God will certainly bless you for that!

In God is victory

Psalm 108
"With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." (Psalm 108:13)
This verse reinforces a lot of what I've posted about the past few days.  If we rely on God, not ourselves, we will triumph.  And note the last part of the verse - he will be the one doing all the vengeance.  He's trampling down the enemies.  So even if we're in what we think is a despondent situation, God will still act.  Just wait!

Be weak, and therefore strong

2 Corinthians
I'm focusing on 2 Corinthians again today.  Paul has a lot of good things to say.  In today's reading in chapter 12, he said that "when I am weak, then I am strong" (verse 10).  He delights in his weakness, because that is where Christ can shine through the strongest.  What a different mindset than most of us!  I usually try to hide my weaknesses and my ignorance because I want to seem as strong, smart, and put together as I possibly can.  Unfortunately, relying on our own 'strength' in this way can keep us from discovering and experiencing the strength of God, which is infinitely better than anything we could conjure up on our own. By withholding ourselves from others and refusing help, relying on our own power and not submitting to God, or reaching out to those around us, we are truly missing out on the life that God desires for us.  Community with him and with the rest of his children.  Our way may seem to be the better way, but really, if we are all pretending to be competent when we aren't, what kind of relationships are we living in?  I don't think we need to broadcast our weaknesses and inexperience to the world, but realizing that we need help, and being open to receiving it, will help us live a fuller, stronger life.

A servant of Christ

Today's key verse is 2 Corinthians 11:23 - "Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more." 
Paul is writing to the Corinthians, explaining why they should not listen to the false brothers coming in preaching a bad message but purporting to be Christians.  Instead, they should listen to Paul, because he brings the message of life and truth.  I appreciate Paul's approach to convincing the Corinthians that he is more reliable than the others.  Normally, he wouldn't bother mentioning his credentials, and as brothers and sisters in Christ, we shouldn't have to do that, as we are all equal under Christ.  But in order to reach these Corinthians, Paul meets them at their level, giving them the information that they would understand and respond to.  As he does this, however, he makes sure that they realize that what they are looking for is not what is truly important.  They're looking at appearance and outward show, not at the actual message.
In the end, we should take a cue from Paul and refrain from boasting about what we do and instead, just go out and extend God's kingdom on earth, as he did.  But if we've got to meet people at their level, we should do it with humility and not let ourselves become feel more important than we are.

Honour and vengeance

1 Samuel
David shows us what it really means to honour those in power.  Saul was anointed by God to be king of Israel, but he didn't follow God's ways.  Through envy, he tried to kill David a number of times.  While on the run from Saul, David had multiple opportunities to kill Saul, and yet he didn't.  He would tell his men, "This is the Lord's anointed.  Far be it from me to avenge myself on the Lord's anointed."  He allowed God to take care of Saul for him.  He said "I will not be the one to kill Saul.  When his time comes, he will die, or he will go into battle and die, but I will not be the one to kill him."
That is true reliance on God.  We are not to take vengeance into our own hands, for God is the only one who truly knows what is going on.  Giving up our supposed control over the situation results in a far better outcome, because we won't feel the guilt of having done something we would later regret, and God will ensure that the person who wronged us will pay the price.  We just have to be patient.  That's not to say that we should lie in wait and gloat when they finally are avenged.  We should ask God to change our hearts so that we are more like David - we should want to be reconciled to the other person (Saul, in David's case).

Are we being generous?

Mark 12:41-44 -
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Just consider this story for yourself.  Do you see yourself as being blessed when you offer back to God, or are you trying to bless God with your possessions?