CBR 7.6.2010

Leviticus 17
"The sin offering was given exclusively for God's people, not generally for all the world."  (Lawson)
Is Christ the book of life?
Excommunication discussed! One would be cut off from the tribe.  Cut off.  Cut off.  You will be left alone in the field outside of the tribe.
Leviticus 17:14 "You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood."
Matthew 26^28"This is my blood of the^[a] covenant, which is poured out for many (notice not all) for the forgiveness of sins." I Chronicles 6
yesterday, I was having trouble with the list of names.   I thought lets cut to the meat, come on now, what does this have to do with God's story.  Then I met with my wife and she helped me see the truth with much more clarity.  Husbands when stuck go to your wives they have a perspective that you may not have, and will give you insight into the scripture you could never obtain elsewhere.
It's about the family, and the promise made to Abraham. Community is built properly within God.  God's will is what drives history.  The temple told of here.  Where the Ark of the covenant was to rest.   Shows the family of Levi who were to keep the temple as priests.  High priests came from the tribe of Aaron.  Cities of refuge mentioned, some I have heard before: Kedesh, Galilee, Golan, Tabor, Jericho.
Ezekiel 10
God will give his people every opportunity to repent and become one with him; however if they do not repent they will slowly be outside of God's presence.   Let us repent of our sinful ways, and our sinful attitudes daily, in prayer and supplication.  God is always in the midst of his people, but he can not be part of our sinful nature, for God is fully good and can not be amongst evil for that would be against his divine and holy nature. Forgive me for being unfocused but I was having a musical flash forward to the Moody Blues Knights in White Satin;

Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,

Letters I've written, never meaning to send.

Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before.

Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.

'Cos I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you.

Gazing at people, some hand in hand,

Just what I'm going through they can't understand.

Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,

Just what you want to be, you will be in the end.

And I love you, yes I love you,

Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.

Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,

Letters I've written, never meaning to send.

Beauty I've always missed, with these eyes before.

Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.

'Cos I love you, yes I love you,

Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.

'Cos I love you, yes I love you,

Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.

Breath deep 

The gathering gloom

Watch lights fade 

From every room

Bedsitter people 

Look back and lament

Another day's useless 

penny is spent

Impassioned lovers

Wrestle as one 

Lonely man cries for love

And has none

New mother picks up 

And suckles her son

Senior citizens 

Wish they were young

Cold hearted orb

That rules the night

Removes the colours

From our sight

Red is gray and 

Yellow white

But we decide

Which is right 

And 

Which is an Illusion

Moody Blues: Knights in White Satin

- 

 Ephesians 6

The Message: "This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life or death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels." "Keep each other's spirits p so that non one falls behind or drops out."
This is not a competition but a group leaning toward Christ, one for all and all for one, their are no unimportant people in a church, each one of us carries an ability to strengthen the whole body.
I love the way Paul ends his letter.  The message does a good job of restating it in common terms, one can feel the warmth Paul attempts to send even though he is writing this from a prison cell.
"Goodbye, friends.  Love mixed with faith be yours from God the father and from the Master, Jesus Christ.  Pure grace and noting but grace be with all who love our Master, Jesus Christ."

CBR 7.5.2010

Leviticus 16
This chapter deals with Worship:  the holy temple and the way for atonement.
Worship shall be holy set apart from our everyday affairs.  Blood is the way of atonement to take away the transgressions, of all of their sins.   Special clothes and special places of worship.   We need to dress differently  for our day with the LORD?  Priests were to be atoned for.  (This command is celebrated in the holiday Yom Kippur.)
1 Chronicles 5 
I don't get this I Chronicles Thing, the list of names are killing me.  So my wife and I looked them up together.  
5:18-22 
"There may be many gaps in Samuel and Kings which Chronicles has not filled." (Eerdman's Commentary) 
Ezekiel 9
War and violence are part of God's story.  I will bring their deeds upon their heads, God said.   He will not forget or forgive his people lightly.  For they are a nation that should have stayed true in the covenant to God but did not.  
Ephesians 5
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 
We husbands need to stay true to our words, for these words of truth will wash our wife with renewal.   Also if we say we are not going to smoke than don't for no reason smoke, if we say we are not going to drink than don't drink, for you are harming your wife in your ways.  Wives though should not try to oppress their husbands because they respect their husbands.  That way they are both free to love the LORD our GOD who brought us out of Israel.  




John 1:10-11 
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Bible Thoughts for 7.1.2010

(Apocrypha) Judith 6:19  
‘O Lord God of heaven, see their arrogance, and have pity on our people in their humiliation, and look kindly today on the faces of those who are consecrated to you.’ 


The Apocrypha is not the word of God, but can highlight aspects of the culture of the day.   We see how the Israelites regarded God with humiliation in this passage. 
 ²¹Uzziah took him from the assembly to his own house and gave a banquet for the elders; and all that night they called on the God of Israel for help. 


 We are sent out as lowly sheep amongst wolves, coyotes, and foxes (Matt 10:16) who would like nothing more than to see us fall from the path of righteousness; only God (Triune and all) can really keep us as he intends to keep us.  He will keep us for he loves us as his adopted children through Christ the LORD.  (Ex 19:5)  We radiate the love of God through our actions. we are his epitome?!


Leviticus 15
Priest speaks for the man, he petitions for his partitioner, so we represent our Pastor and our Church in our actions.  Water is a clarifying thing.  Water is holy.  We transfer our impurity to the whole group, our sinning is never an individual act.  This may go against our thoughts on individualism in America.  


1 Chronicles 3
The order of birth is important to the LORD v. 15 Matthew Henry wrote: "of all the families of Israel,  none were so illustrious as the family of David: here we have a full account of it.   From this family, as concerning the flesh, Christ came.   The attentive observer will perceive that the children of the righteous enjoy many advantages."(Commentary on 1 Chronicles 3) The offspring are important for God to record and remember.   


Ezekiel 7
Our sinful ways matter to the whole body of the church.   We are made one in Christ.  Nothing goes unnoticed!  Arrogance has blossomed.  Arrogance blinds us from our ability to see correctly.  What mercy is preserved in the nation if the wisdom held by the priests and council of the elders is no longer heeded.   Who will lead whom?  At what cost? Matthew Henry asks the LORD to "enable us to seek that good part which shall not be taken away."   God will not remove himself fully for he has made an unbreakable covenant; a covenant that we as humans will continually break; he knowing this passed through the offering in our place.  The covenant remains not because of our good works, but because God is the one who made the covenant with himself, and being fully good, will not remove himself from our story as men.  


Ephesians 3
Ephesians 3:17 ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,(NIV)


His riches are as unsearchable and as sure as ever' yet while angels adore the wisdom of God in the redemption of the church, the ignorance of self-wise and carnal men deems the whole to be foolishness. Matthew Henry  


How can gentiles and Jews (who are chosen) by one with God?  
Did God always intend to have Gentiles and Jews grafted into one body?  


Reading the Message Paraphrase:


I also thought of the Flying Letters in the Story the book of Flying Letters: Where Rabbi Judah falls asleep and in a dream saw a Rabbi Shimon ascending on high bearing a scroll of the Torah in his arms.  Behind him flew a flock in formation.  Then Rabbi Judah looked closer and saw that it was not a a flock of birds but a flock of flying letters." (Schwartz 77)


 I read, "So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud."  I than thought of what was said in Ezekiel of an arrogant nation, of self taught men.  But then as a I read further I read, "He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."  SO this is a strength of character not of will or brutal energy.   


Reading the Voice 
My take away was that Ephesians 3 is a prayer to the people of the book, both gentile and Jewish, to take strength always in the LORD. 


Reading Bruce's Paraphrase 
bring my stewardship of the mystery to the light of day, discharging it before the eyes of all.  God at one time had kept the Gospel hidden from his people because of God's sovereign will. Now this mystery can be revealed through the body of Christ held at our Church.  So may you be filled up with God's own fullness. 

Italics are the text of others.

LORD I AM THANKFUL FOR YOUR RENEWAL OF MY HEART THROUGH YOUR GRACIOUS WAYS< I ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER THE FAMILIES OF REDEEMER AND THAT YOU CONTINUE TO WORK ON MY MATURITY IN YOUR WAYS AMEN 

Scripture Memory
John 1:8-9 
⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

6/29/2010	Leviticus 13	1 Chronicles 1	Ezekiel 5	Ephesians 1
6/30/2010	Leviticus 14	1 Chronicles 2	Ezekiel 6	Ephesians 2
7/1/2010	Leviticus 15	1 Chronicles 3	Ezekiel 7	Ephesians 3
7/2/2010	Proverbs 26	1 Chronicles 4	Ezekiel 8	Ephesians 4
7/3/2010	Psalm 79	Psalm 80	Psalm 81	Psalm 81
7/4/2010	Psalm 79	Psalm 80	Psalm 81	Psalm 81
7/5/2010	Leviticus 16	1 Chronicles 5	Ezekiel 9	Ephesians 5

Bible Commentary for 6.30.2010

I have decided to keep track of my bible notes here.   I am still learning and hope to look back on these notes and find places where I failed to grasp the concept.   This way each time I come to the passage I am renewed in my faith by the convictions of the Holy Spirit.

Leviticus 14
Sacred unblemished perfect  blood is the way of cleansing.  (Points to the need for the cross.) The priest petitions for the sinner (leaper) before God; just like Christ does for us now.  Not just for the rich, all leapers are to go through this not just rich or not just poor, for there is the doves or pigeons if one can not afford a lamb.

Belief in the lord does not guarantee monetary gain.

Mildew is something that can kill a house; it is much like leaven in bread, it will be pervasive in the whole house,
also all things that are in the house are contaminated.

I Chronicles 2: Okay, so whats with all of these names?  "The key to legitimacy and identity is a direct irrefutable familial tie with the past." (Archeological Study Bible 1559) "Genealogies were especially important in ancient Israel because the right to hold important offices was a hereditary privilege."(IBID)

Read the Covenant made with Abram in (Genesis 15:5)  God promised that he would deliver a very large household, here is part of the fulfillment of that promise.

This is a proclamation of God stating "I am here.  I am working." 

It is important to God that we bear children of promise.  I noticed that it was written, "Seled died without children."  this also was mentioned "Jether died without children."  God knows we may notice the first mention of without children, so it is written again, we are dumb and stubborn so we need things often repeated.

Ezekiel 6
God loves us enough to take away our idols.  He is the way and the life and the true light, while we often turn our eyes to things easier to comprehend,  this road ends in slavery.  High places = bamah  (height). Why should we care about high places today?  The warning according to the archeological Study Bible (Zondervan) states that when we are away from proper worship in our ordained churches, churches connected to the holy spirit through the reading of the WORD,  we are often influenced by popular culture.  This influence by popular culture will destroy our faithful walk.

Ephesians 2 

2:22 and you are also being built together into it- the home which God inhabits by His Spirit. (Bruce 273)

Commentary on Ephesians:  

Jesus Christ doth differ from the the foundations of other buildings in this, that every particular believer is not only laid upon him (Jesus), and supported by him as it is in material buildings but they are also indented in him, and hid, and were, in the clefts of that rock by saving and serveth for a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat (Isaiah 25:4)  for he saith not, "upon whom" but "in whom ye also builded."(Fergusson 170)

Cultural Side Bar: indented: This word was used in the movie Eclipse when the Wolf Boy is talking about how his clan loves another, they make an imprint of them, this means that they feel with this person, the thing that person feels, it is an encompassing spirit. 

Scripture Memory
John 1:8-9 
⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

6/30/2010	Leviticus 14	1 Chronicles 2	Ezekiel 6	Ephesians 2
7/1/2010	Leviticus 15	1 Chronicles 3	Ezekiel 7	Ephesians 3
7/2/2010	Proverbs 26	1 Chronicles 4	Ezekiel 8	Ephesians 4
7/3/2010	Psalm 79	Psalm 80	Psalm 81	Psalm 81
7/4/2010	Psalm 79	Psalm 80	Psalm 81	Psalm 81

Miles Reads Ezekiel 25:17

I believe that Ezekiel may have sounded like Miles in Pulp Fiction.  Check out the scene.

Bible Commentary for 6.28.2010

Martin Luther on Galatians 6:14 :


We should trust in Christ for help and should triumph shouting "Satan the more you attack and try to hurt me, the more proud and firm I am against you, and the more I laugh you to scorn.  The more you frighten me and try to bring me to despair, the more confidence and boldness I have, and the more I glory in the midst of your fury and malice- not by my own power, but through the power of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who strength is made perfect in my weakness.   (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)  When the devil sees that his threats and terrors are feared, he rejoices, when people are already frightened, he terrifies them more and more.  Rather, let us take a bold stand in Christ.


Martin Luther  Galatians: The Crossway Classic Commentaries ed Alister McGrath and J I Packer  (Wheaton Illinois: Crossway Books, 1998), 300. 

Scripture Memory
John 1:8-9
⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

6/28/2010	Leviticus 12	2 Kings 25	Ezekiel 4	Galatians 6
6/29/2010	Leviticus 13	1 Chronicles 1	Ezekiel 5	Ephesians 1
6/30/2010	Leviticus 14	1 Chronicles 2	Ezekiel 6	Ephesians 2
7/1/2010	Leviticus 15	1 Chronicles 3	Ezekiel 7	Ephesians 3
7/2/2010	Proverbs 26	1 Chronicles 4	Ezekiel 8	Ephesians 4

The God Who Is There: On Biblical Truth

Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet should read The God That Is There again, especially pages 177 and page 179.  To save them a trip to their book shelf, or library, or bookstore,  let me quote the book for them.   I hope they will rewrite the Jesus Manifesto, to reflect the true inspiration of God.  The truth is more important than a false unity.
"The scriptures are important, not because they are printed in a certain way nor bound in a certain kind of leather, nor because they have helped many people.   This is not the basic reason for the Scriptures being overwhelming important.  The bible, the historic Creeds and orthodoxy are important because God is there, and finally, that is the only reason they have their importance."177

Biblical truth and spirituality is not a relationship to the word god, or to the idea God.  It is a relationship to the One who is there.179

Schaffer, Francis A The God That is There (Chicago: Inter Varsity Press, 1968), 177 and 179.

 I recommend the following book to guard yourself against the rise of heretics in the postmodern age:"The Three Essential Books In One Volume:  Francis A Schaffer Trilogy."  

Billy Graham His Life and Influence by David Aikman

"Billy Graham His Life and Influence" is a book that centers the history of Christian Evangelicalism since 1949. The book provides a panoramic view point of Christianity today.

The book also shares with the reader what it means to be a Christian Man. A man who loves freely and passionately; George W. Bush said about Billy Graham, "He didn't make you feel guilty, he made you feel loved." (249)

Themes that are covered in this book are:

1. Christianity and Culture
2. Mainstream Evangelicalism since 1949.
3. Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy
4. Media's Coverage of American Evangelicals.
5. How seminaries have dealt with the questions of the 20^th and 21^st century.
6. How did Denominations interact with each other during this time period? 
7. How do men of God interact with people of power (especially presidents)?
8. Marriage to Godly Women! 

The book does what Rick the Librarian stated good biographies should do: (1. Discover Fascinating people) (2.Rediscover people we think we know well) (3. Portray a hero dynamically, warts and all) (4. Learn how history was influenced by the life of the individual) (6. to celebrate ones culture through a deeper look). David Aikman succeeds in all 5 areas. One thing that was disappointing was the lack of pictures to go along with the narrative.

Cluck It Real Good

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Felicity Dale offered small nuggets of evangelism opportunities in a fragmented world. Each bite was rich and encouraging to the renewal of the Church today. "When ever we get together, everyone brings a contribution, and the Holy Spirit takes what each person supplies and makes it into a meal to nourish us spiritually." (Pg 191) Mrs. Dale shows the importance of each person to the whole of the church. (1 Corinthians 12) She shows how each of us is responsible to faithfully fulfill the great commission stated in Matthew 28:16-20. She does not shy away from the struggles we may face in order to bring the gospel to all believers. Her honest portrayal in the book is refreshing. The book was segmented into various topics. Each chapter had a theme and a summary at the back of each selection. Because the book had a number of broken components it did not capture my imagination or my muse. The book's flow just never grabbed me.  Mrs. Dale puts the believer at the center of the book, so we must use great care to pray that Christ is the center of our theology and evangelism.  The book was a slow dining experience; a full five course meal. I would use this book as a reference guide to innovative church growth. A slight Cluck! 7.5/10

The book was a slow dining experience; a full five course meal. 

I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Connecting People to the Gospel

Illustration of Connecting unconnected people to the Gospel.

^{Matthew 9:37}Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  

The Lord sends us out to the world to gather others into our community.   

When we stand in truth and unity we become a strong web of light.