365 Reflections

Exodus tells us of the unstoppable and unimaginable growth of the nation of Israel in Egypt in the first chapter alone. This 400 year period turns a band of 70 into 600,000 men over 20 and much more in total. The estimates could be a nation of over 2 million including the other members of Israel's society. They are growing fast enough to alarm Pharaoh and move him to drastic measures to impede this phenomenon. Exodus 1:9–10 (ESV)  And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Pharaoh tries three things to impede the growth of the nation of God: 1. Make them slaves with bitter forced labor. This makes them grow even faster. Exodus 1:12 (ESV)   But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in...

Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in the book. It's about a wife for Isaac and how Abraham's servant goes about finding the woman God would give to his master's son. What I find striking is the incredible servant heart of this nameless man who goes to great lengths and dedicates his quest in the Lord to find the right woman God would have. He worked diligently. He loaded ten camels and traveled far to seek out the right woman. He prayed specifically. He offered God the opportunity here to reject his prayer. The prayer made was for an astounding act on Rebekah's part to water 10 camels. Some ask for a sign in their prayers but they ask for simple things that could be coincidence. He asked for something only God could provide. Genesis 24:14 (ESV) Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall...

1 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. There is something fundamental to this passage you need to know. The word for "you" is plural in the Greek. Paul is not referring to an individual Christian here, he's referring to the whole body of Christ, in the Corinthian's case, their local church! Don't mess with a man's bride... especially the Bride of Christ, the Church. He gave his life for the Church (Ephesians 5:25). He promised to build a triumphant Church (Matthew 16:18). He is coming back for His bride, the Church (Revelation 21:2). The Church is the most precious people on the planet to the risen Lord and to destroy the church brings the wrath of God. Admittedly, not everyone who calls themselves Christians are the "Church". We need to remember that in two ways. Number one, darkening the doors of a Church doesn't make you part of the body. The...

The church need not fight the moral battles of it's present generation.  Our job is to worry about the ones the Lord adds to the church. In Luke 17, after teaching a frustrating bunch of Pharisees about living in the light of eternity, Jesus turns to his disciples.  He gives them great advice. Luke 17:3–4 (ESV) Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” We talk a lot about forgiveness.  But what about the first part?  "If your brother sins, rebuke him?" I don't find many Christians doing this.  We want to be "nice" to everyone.  Sometimes nice isn't the appropriate game plan in the Lord's house.  Jesus cares about the purity of his house.  The word for "rebuke" is a powerful word in the Greek.  It's the same word used by Mark when Jesus calm...