walking and leaping and praising God

Silver and Gold Have I None
Peter and John went to pray.
they met a lame man on the way
He asked for alms and held out his palms,
and this is what Peter did say”
Silver and gold have I none,
but such as I have give I you.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, in Jesus’ name rise up and walk.
The man went walking and leaping and praising God,
Walking and leaping and praising God,
“In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, In Jesus’ name rise up and walk”.

Can God hate?

Malachi
I will attach a paper that I wrote about the book of Malachi, for those who would like to do some more intense reading on this book (stay tuned for that post).  In addition to that, I would just like to pass on a tidbit of information that I recently read in, guess what?, "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth".  In the beginning of Malachi, God says Jacob have I loved, but Esau I hated.  Hate?  Where did that come from?  Isn't hate wrong, sinful?  Clearly, our definition of hate is not what is meant here.  A typical definition for hate in Hebrew is rejection, and that is what God was talking about.  God rejected Esau, rather than hated him in the sense that he would have wanted him to go to hell for eternity.  This wording in Malachi is an example of how we must be aware of the language used in scripture, and what we might think it means versus what the author meant.  We should avoid making errant theological judgments based on a poor grasp of the actual meaning of the text.

John
Sometimes, having read through the gospels, one might tend to think that we have all the information about Jesus.  John's conclusion clearly demonstrates otherwise!  There could have been so many volumes written about his life and work that we would be swimming in the information.  Isn't so interesting that God had people pass along just what we would need to get to know God, rather than all the information we could possibly want to satisfy all our insatiable curiosities?  We need faith that what we can't figure out or what people didn't write about isn't crucial to our knowing God fully.

The sensus plenior

Remember the post from two days ago on John 19?  I mentioned that it referenced Psalm 22 and the casting of lots for Jesus' clothing, although Psalm 22 didn't really seem to prophesy about that event.  Well, I was reading today in "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" that New Testament authors, since they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write what they did, were allowed to read into the Old Testament and use it as allegory for New Testament events (most relating to Christ).  This secondary meaning is called the sensus plenior or the "fuller meaning" of the OT text.  Modern day readers of the bible should not try to make up their own sensus plenior, however, because we are not inspired by the Holy Spirit to do this.  We are illumined readers of the text, not inspired authors.  So when we read the OT and only see it in its original context, that's fine.  The NT writers can use those older texts to help us understand the new covenant in a better way, but we should avoid doing this on our own.

Casting lots for clothes

John 19
It seemed amazing to me that David would foretell about the casting of lots for Jesus' clothing.  John 19:24 includes a reference to Psalm 22:18, in which David says that he has been surrounded and attacked and his clothes were divided among his enemies, by casting lots.  This passage in Psalm 22 doesn't really seem to speak to future events, but rather describes what was happening to David when he had written this particular psalm.  Why then does John include this passage as a "fulfilment of scripture"?  It seems more like a nifty little similarity rather than a fulfilment of a foretold action.

100th post!

This 100th post is about unity.  Today's reading in John (the last part of chapter 17) really drove home Jesus' desire for unity among Christians.
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

What version of the bible do we have?

Key verse
John 17:3 - Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Amos
In Amos, we see an example of how we have the Old Testament based on the Masoretic text (Hebrew version), whereas the first century church had the Old Testament from the Septuagint (Greek version).  Amos 5:25-26 reads rather differently than Acts 7:42-43, but if you follow the footnoting in your bible, you'll see that in fact, if we read the Septuagint version of Amos 5, the wording will be much the same as that in Acts 7.  Stephen, the fellow who was quoting from Amos, was not confused about what the Old Testament said.  In fact, he knew it quite well, only in Greek!

God of love

Today's reading in John was interesting.  Here is what I am referring to (John 16:25-28):
“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
I decided to read about this passage in a commentary, one by William Barclay.  He mentioned that this passage is important because it shows that Jesus was not the one who turned God into a God of love.  Jesus is telling his disciples that they will be able to ask in his name because God himself loves them.  God in the Old Testament seems to not be so loving, with all the judgment and punishments meted out on the Israelites.  When Jesus came, it seemed like he changed God.  However, Jesus didn't just show God's love after he died, his entire life on earth was a testimony to the fact that God loves us.  Jesus wasn't changing God's attitude, he was changing ours, so that we would understand just how much God loves his people.  All of God's actions toward us were in love.

More glory of God

In Revelation chapter 4, we see a parallel of an image first read about in Ezekiel - check the previous post "The glory of God" from November 7, 2010.  John saw four living creatures surrounding God's throne: ox, lion, eagle, and human.  I thought that was interesting to note, and adds to the validity of each author's message, since they both saw the same thing.

Bearing fruit

Today's post is actually about yesterday's reading in John 15.  I was listening to a podcast on Stand to Reason earlier today, the show hosted by Greg Koukl.  He had an insight that I hadn't really thought of before.  You know how people will often say, "Lord, let this be all you and none of me. Take over this task and don't let me get in the way."  Well, this isn't actually the best idea because if you aren't in the way, that means you're sitting on the sidelines waiting for God to do all the work.  Instead, we should ask that whatever we do be 100% us and 100% God.  Just like Jesus was all God AND all man at the same time, God can work completely through us while we are still working completely as well.  It's like Jesus says in John 15:5 - “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
"Apart from me you can do nothing" doesn't mean that we can't do anything ever.  If we are in Christ, we CAN do something!   Make sure that whatever you do, you give it your best, and then you can let God take care of the rest.  He'll take what you do and make it good, but you've got to do something first.

Ask whatever you wish

John
Here it is again!  John 15:7 says "If you remain in me [Jesus] and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."  If we are in Christ, and abide in his nature, we will be asking for things that pertain to that nature, and therefore will be granted them.

Patmos

This is a map of Patmos and environs, the island where John was living when he wrote Revelation.  Patmos was actually a penal colony.  This map came from bible.cc.

Asking in Jesus' name

Today I would like to focus on John 14:13-14.  Here is the text: "And I [Jesus] will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

At first glance, that may sound too good to be true.  I can ask for anything and Jesus will follow through!  It's sort of like having your own money tree... except for those three words: in my name.  Let's harken back to a post I wrote a little while ago about making oaths in the name of God.  Whenever you start using God's name (God the Father, or Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit), you automatically (whether you like it or not) use the character and personal qualities behind that name.  Thus, when you ask for something in Jesus' name, you're asking for something that falls in line with all things good, noble, pure, true, selfless, joyful, and need I go on?  John 14:14 isn't a free gift for anything we want.  It's a free gift for anything in line with God, his will, and his character.

It's like that saying "Love God and do as you please."  The hidden premise is that if you truly love God, you'll be doing what pleases him, because that will in turn be what pleases you.  And as we take on the full nature of God (see Ephesians 4:24), this process becomes easier to follow.

The betrayer

I have always been confused as to why the disciples didn't realize Judas was the betrayer earlier on.  Jesus plainly said in John 13:21 "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."  And then after they ask him who it would be, he says in v. 26 “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”  After that, he promptly gives the bread to Judas.  Does anyone have any suggestions about how they could have missed this clue?


Here is something from Gill's commentary which I have now looked up.  I'm not sure I totally buy into what he is saying, but it could be one explanation:
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
"Jesus answered, he it is,.... Jesus replied, by whispering; for had he spoken out, the rest could not have been so ignorant, as they still continued, after the sign was given: Christ, I say, whispered to John, and told him by what sign he might know the person, and that it was he,[....]"

Apocalyptic literature

Apocalyptic literature seems to be very often taken out of context.  By apocalyptic literature, I mean books of the bible like the last half of Daniel, parts of Ezekiel, and of course, Revelation (which we will be looking at in a couple of days).  These books and prophecies were written for the people who were contemporary to the authors' times.  That means that the prophecies would have meant something to those people, and that they did not speak about the fall of the USSR, or the US-Iraq wars, or anything else that has happened in the past few hundred years.  We can try and read anything we want into these prophecies, but let's face it - Daniel, Ezekiel, and John (author of Revelation) didn't know anything about the United States or Russia.  Granted, the Holy Spirit could have inspired them so much that they wrote about things they had no idea about, but I doubt that's the case, because it would have no meaning for anyone, even themselves, and God's word makes sense to whoever reads it, not just us.

Apocalyptic literature was a genre of writing that was used to comfort people in times of persecution, uncertainty, or other trials.  No matter how tough times get, we can always rely on God to save us in the end.  So one thing we can take away from these passages is that when we're experiencing our own troubles today (as we hear about major wars going on all over the globe), God will be with us and he will overcome.

The Son of Man must be lifted up

Today's passage in John 12 was rather confusing.  There are some Greeks who come to Philip to see if they can gain an audience with Jesus, and Philip and Andrew go to Jesus to ask him, and then Jesus launches into a speech about the coming of his hour, when the Son of Man must be lifted up.  It appears as though he ignores the question, even though the text says "Jesus replied."  Here's an explanation that makes some sense of the passage (it was located at bible.org, by W. Hall Harris):
"The appearance of these Gentiles wishing to see Jesus indicate that it is time for him to lay down his life—the hour of his glory has come (i.e., his return to the Father through death, resurrection, and exaltation). This point is so important for the Evangelist (John) that we are never actually told if the Greeks get to see Jesus or not!"

Something else we can take from this passage is Jesus' comment that anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus' sake will keep it.  Don't get too caught up in living this life for worldly goods and pleasures.  Live for Jesus, by following his commands and caring for others, and you'll find that in the end, that is the most rewarding.  Recall Solomon in Ecclesiastes - he tried everything under the sun and found that all of life was pointless unless God was involved.

Love and life

Key verses
John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

1 John
Here is a great call to action: Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18).  My challenge to you (and myself) is to go out and put this verse into action.  Look around and ask, how can I show love in a tangible way to someone today?  It's interesting how love passes us from death to life.  Believing in Jesus means believing in the love he showed us.  That's love - he died so we would live.  We went from death to life.

We were meant for relationships, and love is at the heart of any relationship.  Let's build on that!

The blind man

Key verse
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

John
I like this story about the blind man (I read the whole thing).  I find it amusing that he asks the Pharisees if they want to be Jesus' disciples as well.  He stays true to Jesus, his healer, even though he gets accosted by the Pharisees.  Don't doubt the power of Christ, even if you bombarded by criticism and hatred.

Light of the world

Key verse
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Job
In the Old Testament, it was bad taste to speak before the person suffering spoke, so Eliphaz didn't speak up until after Job had lamented his situation.  Job 4:7 sums up Eliphaz's position, that Job must be suffering for some sin.

Ekhah! (Oh How!)

And so begins the book of Lamentations, a series of poems outlining the Jews' mourning for the destruction of Jerusalem.  It will be interesting to see whether this book ends in hope or sadness.

John 6:68 - Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
-The Twelve Disciples couldn't bear to leave Jesus, even if his teachings were hard, because they knew the truth about his message.  He truly was the Messiah, and promised eternal life and forgiveness of sins for all who believe in him.  There's no where else to turn.

Diligent Study of the Scriptures

John
Jesus warns against exclusive study of the Scriptures.  Even though it is important to regularly read God's word, it is just as important to apply what you read.  The word of God is living and active; it has the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to speak to you today and to change your life.  We can't make this bible reading turn into head knowledge only.  Life application is just as important.  I admit, sometimes it seems a little tough to find out how to apply certain passages of Scripture, like some of Jeremiah.  I'm still figuring that out.  If you're struggling in that regard as well, one book that would be helpful is, you guessed it!, Taking the Guesswork out of Applying the Bible by Jack Kuhatschek.