Portraying a Christian Mood

Today's Reading:

• Luke 9:7 - 27
• Psalm 72:1 - 20

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Luke 9:7 - 27
At the end of the last reading the disciples were sent out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons.  When the disciples returned to Jesus, he more or less tried to sneak everyone out to avoid the crowds.  The people found Jesus and his disciples regardless.

Instead of becoming irritated that he had been found, Jesus welcomed them and continued his teachings.  I find that in itself to be amazing.  Jesus was traveling, he was trying to slip away quietly, he had been teaching, healing, and casting out demons continually.  He attracted a crowd no matter where he went so was constantly bombarded with requests on a day to day basis.

So when Jesus was found by the crowd of 5000 men (no small crowd!), even an extraordinary person might have been a bit dismayed and perhaps might have been a bit less than friendly.  But not Jesus.  No, Jesus welcomed the crowd and embraced the chance to minister to them.  Not only did he minister to them, he fed every single one of them, thus using the opportunity to demonstrate God's power to the people.

I imagine we could all take a lesson on this one.  How many of us let the stressful/bad/wearing things going on in our lives radiate out of us and unto others?  Maybe we're having a bad day (or week/month/year!), or perhaps we're tired or weary, or perhaps we're stressed and busy.  When we feel like that, how do we treat those around us?  How do we treat others in those situations?

As a Christian, I feel like we should demonstrate certain qualities to others with our moods.  We should make them ask, "Why is this person so happy/pleasant/joyful/fulfilled/uplifted even though so much is going on in their lives?"  The moods and actions we display to others should reflect the fact that our hearts that have been changed by Jesus.

Psalm 72:1 - 20 
This Psalm, written by Solomon, is the last in the second book of Psalms.  This Psalm describes the traits a godly ruler will have (fair judgement, defender of poor, righteous, etc) and the profound blessings that the godly people would reap during his reign.  This truly is a beautiful, shining Psalm that shows the desired traits of our leaders, as well as the benefits that come from being a godly people with a godly ruler.  

I am excited to start book three of Psalms with my next reading!

Laws of Festivals, Judges, Trials, and Appointed Kings in Deuteronomy

Today's Reading:

• Deuteronomy 16:1 - 17:20
• Proverbs 12:8 - 9

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Deuteronomy 16:1 - 17:20
 Moses told the people which festivals they were to celebrate each year.  These festivals were to be celebrated at the single place God chose for his sanctuary -- the people would have to travel there.  These festivals were: Passover, Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters.

Moses also informed the people of God's instructions for dealing with idol worship, disagreements, lawsuits and more.  The people were to appoint local judges and officials to hear cases.  Should these people be unable to decide, the case was to be brought to the Levitical priests to decide.  Should a person be found guilty, their punishment must be carried out exactly as stated by the judge's sentence. 

People who worship idols or natural elements (sun, moon, etc) were to be put to death, but only if at least two witnesses saw them.  Those witnesses had to throw the first stones before the rest of the community could join in.

The people were also told requirements for a king, if they were to appoint one.  First of all, the people must make sure that the Lord has chosen the king.  The king must be an Israelite and must live humbly as a king.  He shouldn't build himself a fortune, and he should keep the instructions written on a scroll to read daily so that he would stay true and humble to both the citizens and to the Lord.

It's interesting to see the parallels between our democratic society today and the society the Israelites were to be a part of.  It's always reassuring that the Lord insists on fairness out of the leaders and the judges, and that there must be multiple witnesses if someone was going to be convicted of a crime with a death penalty.  No one said that the Lord our creator had to attempt to be fair to us.  Yes, I know life isn't fair -- but the Lord lays basic rules in attempt so that people be treated fairly.  The Lord created us all -- what if He wasn't concerned with our treatment, with how we treat others?  I am truly thankful that we have a Lord who is concerned with our fair treatment.

Proverbs 12:8 - 9

8  A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.

9  Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be a self-important but have no food.

 It is better to be a sensible, ordinary person than a pompous, poor person with a warped mind!  Whenever you might think you're too ordinary, just remember the things that make you beautiful to God -- because those are the only things that truly matter.

The Healing Power of Jesus is Still Relevant Today

Today's Reading:

• Luke 8:40 - 9:6
• Psalm 71:1 - 24

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Luke 8:40 - 9:6
Jesus traveled to the other side of the lake where he was met by a large crowd.  A man named Jairus met Jesus at the shore and begged him to come heal his daughter, who was dying.  Jesus and his disciples headed out to the home of Jairus.

Along the way, a woman who had bled for twelve years straight touched the robe of Jesus, because she knew if she could but touch it, she would be healed.  When she touched the robe she was instantly healed -- and Jesus felt the healing power go into her.  He praised her extreme faith, saying that it had made her well.

Jairus was met by a messenger that told him it was too late -- the daughter had died.  Jesus told Jairus to have faith, and she would be healed.  Jesus walked into the house and told the girl to get up, and miraculously she did.

Those two miraculous healings took place within a short time of each other.  Although they were two entirely different problems -- one woman who couldn't stop bleeding, and a girl who had already died -- the result was the same.  They were both healed by faith in Jesus.

I am a firm believer that miracles and healing can be achieved to this very day through the power of Jesus Christ.  And I'm not just talking about healing while the person is still alive -- I believe that people can be raised from the dead.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think that happens often, but I think in extreme cases it is possible -- especially when a child dies.

Take for instance this very recent case, where a 26 week old baby was stillborn.  A baby born at 26 weeks has a small chance of survival as it is, but this one was declared dead by multiple doctors.  Twelve hours after the baby died, the mother insisted on seeing the baby in the refrigerated morgue.  There she found that her 26 week old, premature, freezing baby was still alive.  Her response was: "I'm a believer. All of this was a miracle from God."  Indeed it was truly a miracle from the Lord.

If faith alone can (on very very rare occasion) raise a person from the dead, healing from ordinary diseases should be easy.  Healing from terminal illnesses isn't much of a stretch beyond that.  Miracles are still very much occurring today.  We don't need to see Jesus in person for a miracle to occur.  We don't need to touch his robe.  Faith is what is needed.  These people (the woman and Jairus) came to Jesus because they had faith in him before they ever met him.  So have faith and study the word of God.  That's my plan anyway, so that if anything ever comes against my family, I will be equipped with all the bible has to say about that situation.  

Psalm 71:1 - 24
This Psalm doesn't seem to be attributed to a single person.  My study bible doesn't offer me a suggestion of who the author might have been.  I don't think it was David because the psalm doesn't have the same extreme highs and lows that I am used to reading in the psalms of David.

This Psalm is similar to the psalms of David in that the writer is begging the Lord for help, begging that he not be abandoned to his enemies.  The writer seems to be older (And now, in my old age, don't set me aside" verse 9), and he seems to have led a pretty straightforward life in God's favor until this point.

This Psalm might not have the extreme highs and lows of the psalms of David, but it is still a lovely example of true faith in the Lord.  The writer knows that the Lord has been with him his entire life.  He prays to God to be delivered from his enemies, and he praises the Lord over and over.  He tells of how he always has praised the Lord, and how he will continue to praise the Lord,  Psalms truly is a book of praise and worship to the Lord.  It's certainly the book to turn to when you're struggling to get through hard times in your life. 

Tithing, Debt Cancellation and Slavery in the Old Testament; Godly Advice is an Extension of Virtue

Today's Reading:

• Deuteronomy 13:1 - 15:23
• Proverbs 12:5 - 7

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Deuteronomy 13:1 - 15:23
These three chapters in Deuteronomy had many interesting topics, including tithing, debt cancellation and the release of slaves.  Rather than write a long post on just one of these topics, I think I'd like to write a little bit about each one.
Tithing, Debt Cancellation and Slavery in the Old Testament
I am always interested to learn what the bible says about tithing.  I've seen little about it so far.  Chapter 14 says that the family must take their 1/10 tithe of their crops and eat it before the Lord.  If it's too far to journey with the crops, they should be sold and then the money should be used for a great feast and celebration before the Lord.  Every third year, the money or crops should be given to the Levitites, the widows, the foreigners and the orphans.

As I've mentioned before, my tithe is a combination of donations to my church and to various Christian charities that I believe in.  I don't know enough about tithing to know if that is acceptable -- should I be giving 10% to my church, and then contribute to charities in addition to that?  This passage at least gives me reassurance that tithing can be a combination of the two, and it seems like the formula is 67% to the church, 33% to charities.  I am certain I will learn tons more about tithing, but for now I at least have something to go on!  And without looking at my budget right now, I can say that's probably close to the ratio I have going on now.  

I thought the topic on debt cancellation was interesting.  Chapter 15 tells us that debts were to be cancelled every 7th year if they were not paid back.  I think that many types of debt in the US today also have statues of limitations -- the most common being 7 years.  There are debts that are not subject to those rules, but credit cards, utility bills, etc often have limits like that imposed.  I think it's interesting how I can read about debt cancellation in Moses's time and still see a correlation to today's time.

Chapter 15 also discussed slavery.  You were to release your slaves after a period of six years, and you were supposed to send them away with a generous gift.  I hear people often refuse to even consider Christianity because the bible talks of slaves.  But I have yet to see how slavery in the bible is the same as slavery as we seem to think about it -- with an entire single population being forced into lifelong slavery.  I certainly haven't read enough of the bible to take a stance, but I can say that the things I've read so far -- such as freeing your fellow slaves with generous gifts after a six year period -- seems to fall more along the lines of indentured servants than slavery.  But please remember -- this is my opinion as of this point in time.  I am almost 1/4 through the bible -- so I still have quite a bit to read that could change my mind!

Proverbs 12:5 - 7

5  The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

6  The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.

7  The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.

More words of wisdom to consider from Proverbs.  These words make a lot of sense -- the passages about the godly and their words and their advice makes me think of the virtue ethical theory.  In this theory (from what I remember in college), if a person was deemed to be virtuous, then by default any and all decisions that they made would automatically be considered virtuous and correct.

So I see these verses as an extension of the ethical theory of virtue -- if a person is godly, then the things they do, the plans they make, the advice they give -- is automatically just and right.  Now of course that theory has many flaws, I was just noting the similarity between these passages and that ethical theory.  It makes sense though -- if a person truly is godly, and their plans are godly, their lives are godly -- then the Lord has bestowed upon them favor, blessing and wisdom to pass along to others.  So where should you turn to when you are in need of advice or direction?  Turn to the godly person you trust! 

Jesus Calms the Storm and Casts out Demons

Today's Reading:

• Luke 8:22 - 39
• Psalm 70:1 - 5

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Luke 8:22 - 39
This short reading in Luke tells two stories that have previously been detailed in other gospels.  The first of the two is the story of how Jesus calmed the storm on the lake.  Jesus and his disciples were on a boat, crossing a lake (my study bible says the Sea of Galilee but I don't know how they determined that) while Jesus napped below deck.

A fierce storm arrived and the boat was quickly filling with water.  All this time Jesus slept.  Eventually the disciples wakened Jesus to tell him they were all about to drown.  Jesus got up and instantly rebuked the waves and the wind.

The disciples were amazed.  Jesus had been performing miracles all along -- healing the sick, feeding the hungry, casting out demons -- but now they had seen him control the very forces of nature itself.  At this point I don't think Jesus had revealed his true nature to the disciples, but they were certainly wondering who Jesus was and how he could command even the sea.

 The second story was an account of how Jesus cast out many demons from a man named Legion.  This man was so possessed that he could break free of any chains placed upon him.  He ran around stark naked and the people of the town were scared of him. 

These demons called out the true nature of Jesus -- that he was the son of God.  I think it's amazing how the demons knew who Jesus was before Jesus actually revealed himself.  All of these spirits, all of these demons, all of these things we don't see -- they follow a very natural order, and Jesus is the authority above all of them. 

Authority.  That seems to be the topic of today.  The authority of Jesus above all.  The authority of Jesus to heal people, to cast out demons, to perform miracles, to feed the hungry and to calm storms.  I know that Jesus allows us to use his authority, but I'm unsure yet as to what that entails.  But I do know that, as a Christian, I should learn these things, because Jesus expected his students to learn and grow -- not learn and stand still. 

When Jesus calmed the storm he asked his disciples where their faith was.  Had they had faith, they could have calmed the storm.  With the proper faith, they could cast out any demon.  With the proper faith, they could heal people.  So, the question I am left with for today is: What is proper faith?

Psalm 70:1 - 5
This quick Psalm combined the basic elements of the Psalms of David.  There was a plea for help and vengeance, as well as praise and worship of the Lord.  If we look at these Psalms as a template for how to pray, then it is clear that we should be praising the Lord in our prayers, no matter how dire our situation at the moment.  We should certainly bring our troubles before the Lord, but at the same time never forget to praise Him.