Today's Reading:

January 17, 2008: (Genesis 42, 43; Psalm 5; Luke 17)
    Old Testament Lesson: I wonder if Joseph ever thought of payback. He now holds the second highest position in the land. But, when he sees his brothers, Joseph is so moved that he cries. Maybe, this is an unwritten lesson for us. Just as Esau's hatred for Jacob wanes as the years passed, Joseph, too, seems to carry no revenge in his heart. Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.
   New Testament Lesson: If it is a sin to fall into temptation, Jesus makes sure we understand how much deeper the sin is for the one who does the tempting. Think about all of the porn producers who have made millions on their skills of tempting. Or imagine the drug pushers standing before God on Judgment Day. Isn't it interesting that the teaching on the second coming of Christ begins with a warning about temptation. Forgiveness is one of the prevailing themes of this chapter. Praise God for a God who warns us, and, if we listen to the warning, forgives us.

January 16, 2008: (Genesis 39-41; Luke 16)
    Old Testament Lesson: Have you ever been in the wrong place at the right time? Maybe this is how Joseph begins to feel as he is given more and more authority by Potiphar. Everything is going great! Potiphar even notices that Joseph is being blessed by the Lord. Then the devil gets involved. We call it temptation, temptation of the worst kind for a teenager, sexual in nature. The power of the Lord prevails in Joseph's life and he remains pure. The fate of two prisoners eventually brings Joseph face to face with Pharaoh. Notice the wisdom of Joseph when he also advises Pharaoh to appoint the wisest in the land to handle the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine.
    New Testament Lesson: Jesus tells the story of the shrewd manager. At the end of the story Jesus gives some much needed advice, "Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends." When you live in the "Zone" of God's blessings you will be blessed by God who is the Blessor so that you will be a blessing to others. In our culture verse 18 is a tough one to live with. Yet it is the word of God and as all of God's word there is a standard of righteousness that we should strive to uphold.

January 15, 2008: (Genesis 37, 38; Psalm 7; Luke 15)
    Old Testament Lesson: A study of the families of Genesis continues to reveal how not to raise children. Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel, finally has a child who is named Joseph. To no one's surprise Jacob makes him his favorite child; he gives him the famous coat of many colors. This makes him hated by his brothers. Then, the dreams of Joseph add to their hatred. They sell him and Joseph eventually is sold to Potiphar. The hand of God is at work and the tension mounts in the story. How does one explain the story of Judah and Tamar? In our culture we don't. In the culture of that time Judah simple says, "She is more righteous than I."
   New Testament Lesson: How does a Shepherd realize that out of one-hundred sheep one is missing? You count them. The story shows us that God cares about us. Even to the point of looking for us when we are lost. The lost sheep, lost coin, and the lost son all point to a beautiful conclusion: we really matter to God. All of heaven rejoices when even one sinner repents. In the story of the lost son, the question that has always intrigued me is, how far did the father go to search for his son? Did he go to the edge of the end of the porch, or to the end of the driveway, or maybe to the edge of town? How far did our heavenly Father go to bring you back home?

January 14, 2008: (Genesis 34-36; Luke 14)
    Old Testament Lesson: Dinah is violated. The young prince, Shechem, who raped her, now wants to marry her. This crime is as appalling to her brothers as it would be to us today. They want revenge and devise a plan. The plan is deceiving yet very effective. After carrying out the plan Jacob is furious. He seems more concerned about future relationship with his neighbors than with justice. Even though the ancients had a different system for justice which we might feel is extreme the point is made: Justice prevails and it is always worth standing up for.
   New Testament Lesson: I heard it once said, "Church is free!" After years of thinking about that comment I have come to the conclusion that it is one of the most erroneous comments made. Jesus tells us there is a cost to follow Him. Often we don't totally understand the cost, but, nevertheless, there is still a cost. Jesus tells us we must love him more than anything else. We must join Him, carry our own cross and follow Him.

January 13, 2008: (Genesis 31-33; Luke 13)
    Old Testament Lesson: Jacob has been blessed by God in so many ways. He has met the love of his life, married her and had many children. Of course, there seems to always be a catch with him. In this case it's Jacob who is deceived on his wedding night. Through the battle of competing sisters will emerge the twelve sons of Jacob, who will later become the twelve tribes of Israel . Now Jacob is at an impasse in his life, Laban to his rear and big, bad brother Esau to his front. Isn't it amazing that at this critical juncture when nothing can possibly go right that God shows up! The famous wrestling match between Jacob and an Angel, some believe, is a theopany. In other words, Jesus comes to earth before he is born as a baby in Bethlehem . Jacob wins the match and realizes that God is with him. The battle never materializes between Jacob and his brother Esau. Jacob returns without incident to his homeland.
    New Testament Lesson: Jesus is doing the ministry that His father has set aside for him to do. He is teaching and healing those who need his wonderful hand of mercy. When He heals on the Sabbath, as far as the religious leaders of the day are concerned, He has broken the law. Now using the authority that His father has given him Jesus calls them all hypocrites. The question is asked in verse 23, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" The answer that Jesus gives is, "The door to heaven is narrow." Praise God, we have a Savior who has made the way possible.

January 12, 2008: (Genesis 28, 29; Luke 12)
    Old Testament Lesson: Esau is soon to be the forgotten son. His name will appear briefly throughout the Bible but he is not listed with the Patriarchs. The lesson of his life needs to be heeded. His father, Isaac, loved him conditionally. When he brought home the wild game, dad was happy. Everything he did was to earn a parent's love, but the love was never there. Mom never cared for him and outwardly disapproved of him. Yet, he tried over and over to win their approval. The final act is when he realizes that his marital choices are displeasing and to make it right he goes to his Uncle Ishmael's house to find a wife. Maybe now he can win the love and approval of mom and dad.
   Old Testament Lesson: Jesus teaches us what the world tries its best to make sure we never hear. Life is not measured by how much we own. Life's value is in our relationship with God. Our Heavenly Father cares about us in every detail. He wants our treasure to be a heart filled with His love.

January 11, 2008: (Genesis 27, 28; Psalm 4, Luke 11)
    Old Testament Lesson: The family plot comes to a head as Isaac approaches death. He calls in the eldest son, Esau, to inform him that the time for the Patriarchal blessing is at hand. Of course, there is a condition that Esau must meet, a meal. As Esau hurries off to please his father his mother, who hates him, gets involved in the plot. She coaxes Jacob into a scheme of deception. The height of the lie is found in
Genesis 27:20. "Isaac asked, 'How were you able to find is so quickly, my son?' 'Because the LORD your God put it in my path!' Jacob replied." Using the Lord to cover your lying scheme is the ultimate betrayal of trust. Yet, what we will see over the next twenty years is that God still blesses Jacob.
    New Testament Lesson: The disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. The importance of that question must be looked at in the context of who asked the question. The disciples were not strangers to prayer. In fact, they had spent a lifetime of reciting prayers. But, now they observe Jesus and realize that His prayers are "getting through." They aren't just rote. What did they notice? I believe that they say someone communicating with God, someone whose prayer life really made a difference in how they handled life. I hope that we all have that desire, a desire to communicate with God.

January 10, 2008: (Genesis 25, 26, Psalm 6, Luke 10)
    Old Testament Lesson: Everything is left to Isaac, the child of the promise. I wonder how Ishmael felt? Is there any surprise that the descendants of these two are still fighting today? Now the saga continues. Rebekah has twins who are so different that mom and dad each have their favorite. You feel sorry for Esau. Isaac loves him conditionally. When he brings home the game dad is happy. Jacob is loved by his Rebekah. What a mess. This is a good study of how not to raise children. Esau sees his birthright as something trivial. For a bowl of soup it's gone. Have you ever heard of generational curses? Abraham lies twice about his relationship with Sarah, and now Isaac lies about his relationship with Rebekah. But the beauty of worship before an altar is a positive trait that Isaac learns from his dad.
   New Testament Lesson: The harvest is great but the workers are few. Jesus doesn't beat around the bush. His challenge is direct and has remained the same for generations. There is still a great harvest. The disciples are so excited about being in ministry that they proclaim, "Even the demons obey us when we use your name!" Using the name of Jesus tied with the great commandment to love as you want to be loved is always and has always made the harvesting a joy.

January 9, 2008: (Genesis 23-24, Luke 9)
    Old Testament Lesson: Genesis is so personal. The stories of the patriarchs are in such detail you can almost see them taking place on a TV documentary. We see the love he has for his wife, the one whom he lied about twice because of her beauty, his bride. She has died. His last act of love is to find Sarah a proper burial place. Now, as he enters into the last of his life, he must resume the business of building a family. He understands the promise from God of a future great nation. He tells his most faithful servant to find a wife and under no circumstances is Isaac to leave this land. The servant prays and God answers. For us, who claim Jesus as our messiah, our heritage is also traced to Abraham. When we pray, God answers as well.
   New Testament Lesson: Luke tells us that Jesus sends out the disciples. They are putting into practice what they have learned. The model that Jesus uses for developing disciples is quite different than what many churches practice. Jesus trains them and sends them. Then, He trains them again. Often we forget the sending part. Jesus says, "You feed them." Eventually they do after Jesus trains them. Did you catch the Transfiguration? In verse 31, Jesus was speaking with Moses and Elijah about fulfilling God's plan by dying in Jerusalem . There is an eternal connection with the saints that gives us peace.

January 8, 2008: (Genesis 20-22, Luke 8)
    Old Testament Lesson: The wheel of time seems to be spinning twice as fast now. Sarah and Abraham come up with a plan to get an heir. Hagar has a son named Ishmael. Yet, this ill advised plan to help God will come back to haunt millions in the future. I do get some relief in Abraham's actions. He tells Sarah to tell Abimelech she is his sister. This is the same lie that got him in trouble with Pharaoh! Where is the faith that says, "God will protect us?" Even in their unbelief God is there. He protects Sarah from Abimelech. But, he also recognizes the innocence of Abimelech and protects him as well. I love the sarcasm of Abimelech when he says, "I will give your brother 1000 pieces of silver." Then later he confronts Abraham, "It is clear God helps you in everything you do." The ultimate test of faith, for all generations, is the offering of Abraham's son, Isaac. Notice the actions. They will be repeated by another Son. Isaac obeys his father. He carries the wood on his back. He is tied up to be offered as a sacrifice. God intervenes on Isaac's behalf. Centuries later God will intervene on our behalf.
   New Testament Lesson: The story of the scattering of the seeds, which many believe is the greatest evangelism parable of all time, places a commission on all of us. We often pay attention to the types of soil in the story but the challenge isn't with the soil. We are called to scatter the seeds; the Lord will take care of the soil.

January 7, 2008: (Genesis 18-19, Psalm 3, Luke 7)
    Old Testament Lesson: And Sarah laughed. That phrase has been preached many ways over the centuries. Some dismiss it as, you've got to be kidding, or as a total disbelief of God's power. I have been surprised by God many times. Often I've wanted to say, "I would have never believed it unless I saw it." The question of faith is one we always deal with. There are times that we have buckets full and others when one drop is hard to find. Notice Abraham in his bargaining for Sodom and Gomorrah . He begins with fifty, then dropped to forty-five, then to forty. Steps of five, but his faith seems to increase as he moves with God and drops to thirty, twenty and finally ten. Increments double from five to ten! How often do we allow our laughter to become a launching pad for faith? If we do then our faith could even double over time.
   New Testament Lesson: Luke deals with faith. The Roman officer sends his representatives to ask the Lord for request. Jesus remarks that his faith is the kind that he is looking for. John the Baptist, in prison knowing that his days are numbered, wants to make sure that this Jesus that he had preached is the Messiah. Jesus tells them to look at his works.

Do we have enough faith? Could we walk into a crowded room and pour oil on Jesus and withstand the criticism? Notice the words of Jesus to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

January 6, 2008: (Genesis 15-17; Luke 6)
    Old Testament Lesson: The life of Abram is being turned up a notch. Telling the future of his family and promising an heir. But as in many promises we believe the person isn't moving fast enough so Abram asked about Eliezer as a replacement for the promise. Then he schemes for a handmaiden to have his son. Hagar is chosen and Ishmael is born. Notice the prophecy given in Gen. 16:12 about Ishmael and his decedents. "He will live at odds with the rest of his brothers." From Ishmael come the Arab nations!
   New Testament Lesson: Jesus is now teaching, preaching and healing. He is moving in the flow of the Holy Spirit. People are healed and some get mad. Jesus says, "God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me the Son of Man." Why do we become impatient with the promises of God? Why do we try to work out the details? I believe there are many times that God wants us to move and He will continue to guide us into the Promiseland. Yes, along the journey people will hate us because we follow a Savior.

January 5, 2008: (Genesis 12-14, Luke 5)
    Old Testament Lesson: The calling of Abram is a foundational moment for a nation who would later be called Israelites. Abram accepts the call of God and moves. You instantly notice a special characteristic about him; he builds altars and worships God. Even after his near disastrous trip to Egypt he comes back to the altar and worships God. From here we see a fundamental aspect of faith-worship. We are also introduced to a very fascinating individual named Melchizedek. Little is know about him. Some theologians have speculated that this is a theopany. (Theopany is a special visit by Christ before the Incarnation. The Incarnation is Christ becoming flesh.) Yet, the major point for today's lesson is God honors worship.
   New Testament Lesson: In the 5 th chapter of Luke we see another type of worship. I would call it awe. Peter worshiped Jesus because of a miraculous catch of fish. Others worship Jesus because of His miracles. For us today, let our worship be a holy awe of a God who did come in the flesh as a child in Bethlehem . Let our altars be of the heart.

January 4, 2008: (Genesis 9-11; Luke 4)
    Old Testament Lesson: The Bible begins to take a very interesting direction; we begin to see the lives of individuals in a very personal way. The story of Noah with his call from God, the dedication to carry out what many would call an impossible mission, is the story of a real person. Just like you and I Noah is a real flesh and blood individual. Yet once again we see that the sin nature of humanity isn't destroyed by the flood-Noah gets drunk. I once heard a person say, "Talk about a premeditated drunk. He had to plant the grape vines, wait for the harvest, and then make the wine!" The Good news is that Noah even though he is human and sins is still used by God.
   New Testament Lesson: In Luke we see the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It is important to see how He handles the temptation of the Devil. Notice the simple way Jesus fights Satan's attack-He quotes scripture. Wow! Of course we are beginning to understand even in our first week of reading that there is real power in knowing the Word. You might not be able to quote the chapter and verse like Jesus, but you know the intent of God's word. Even in the sometimes seeming less genealogies that tend to go on and on we can find value. Did you notice the name of Abram and Sarai?

January 3, 2008: (Genesis 6-8; Luke 3)
   Old Testament Lesson: The seed of Adam, glorious and made in the image of God has an unfortunate nature that is passed down. We call it the sin nature. If there is one thing that God dislikes more than anything else it is simple sin. We read where, "Their thoughts are consistently and totally evil." Also, we read that this attitude of behavior broke God's heart. One instantly has to ask this question, "Does my sin nature break God's heart." The answer is always yes! Sin breaks God's heart. So what is the solution? Thankfully we know it ultimately begins with the one named Jesus.
    New Testament Lesson: John goes from place to place preaching the good news of salvation. "Fill in the valleys and level the mountains and hill! Then people will see the salvation sent form God." God filled in all the valleys with water and removed those who were totally evil. Yes, we are a fallen people, but let our goals to be a people who understand that we can turn from evil. Our destination can be one of joy. The joy that Noah and his family experienced when God rescued them from the flood.

January 2, 2008: (Genesis 3-5; Luke 2)
   Old Testament Lesson: The Garden and all of its beauty isn't enough to satisfy Adam and Eve. All it takes is the allure of more. In this case the serpent simple says, "You will become like God." I often want to ask, "Isn't that our goal, to become like God? We are made in His image. So shouldn't we strive to act like Him?" The answer is almost a yes. Yes, we should strive to have God-like attitudes and qualities. But to be just like God, in knowing everything, isn't something that we can obtain. So Adam and Eve are tricked. They take the bait and sin. Their sin isn't theirs alone. It becomes a trait that every human is now born with. Yet, we see that God has an answer. The very best answer to the trickery of the serpent is a Savior, a Messiah.
    New Testament Lesson: Simeon is told that he will not die until he witnesses first hand this Savior. He sees the Messiah and boldly proclaims, "Lord, now I can die in peace!" For us, we can make a choice and find this same Savior, and like Simeon live and die in the peace that surpasses all understanding.

January 1, 2008: (Genesis 1, 2; Luke 1)
   Old Testament Lesson: As we open the beginning chapter we see God at work. This isn't a distant God. In fact He creates us in His own image and patterned us after Himself. One of the first indications of what type of God we worship is with Adam. Adam is lonely so God makes companions for him. Imagine the excitement as God makes the animals. Yet, even though we have a special love for animals they aren't enough. So God creates a perfect help-mate for Adam. Notice what Adam says, "At last."
   New Testament Lesson: Luke takes special care to continue the beautiful nature of God. Elizabeth experiences a miracle. So much so that Zechariah can't believe it. Then Mary finds favor with God. We instantly must put one aspect of the two stories together. Adam is warned not to sin and God finds Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary to be righteous. As we begin the New Year let our goal be to be found righteous in the eyes of God.