Good evening brothers and sisters, Hope you had a blessed Sabbath (originally from 10/18/20).  Encourage you to reflect with me about some lessons from Genesis. Blessings Jeff  Well here we are at the end of Genesis already!!!  50 days for 50 chapters.  Adam to Abram (12 chapters for many generations).  Abram to son of Israel (38 chapters for 4 generations). Looking forward to Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers.  4 books for 40 years, with not much said about the 400 years in Egypt which fulfils prophecy to Abraham in Gen 15.   All the empires and civilizations that start and take root in this time are not even mentioned.  The story of the Bible is about God and his chosen people.  Redemptive history is all that God is concerned with.  I may have mentioned the Sinclair Ferguson quote that the whole Bible is a footnote to Genesis 3:15, the promise of a son who would crush the serpent's head.  That is the story line that ...

Good afternoon brothers and sisters, I spent time interrogating these 2 verses this morning.  While there are a many hypotheticals, what became apparent was Mary's obedience which revealed my lack of obedience. I encourage you as you pray through the directory by name to think of Paul's prayers as requests, but also as commmands.  For example, it is God's will that our love abound more and more.  This is not a suggestion or request.  Will I obey? In the Beloved, Jeff  Let me get this straight.  A teenaged girl who who has just been told by an angel that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit leaves home "with haste" to go visit Elizabeth.  Did her parents know about this?  Would you let your teenage daughter walk about 60 miles by herself through a bad neighborhood (Samaria) to visit a distant relative?  Mary's parents: Tell us Mary, why do you want to go there?   Mary: O I just fell like it or An angel told me that she is pregnant....

Good morning brothers and sisters, Today's reading started a new gospel (Luke) and a new letter (1 Corinthians).  Approaching the end of Genesis.   This is the 6th time in the last 7 years  that I have used M'Cheyne plan.  The other year, I did a chronological plan.  But this is first time I have highlighted this passage.  There are always new treasures to be discovered in God's Word. Hopefully you are seeing the value of Luther's four strand meditation process. Blessings, Jeff  It just so happened that Egypt had this river that started in the mountains far to the south which the Egyptians never saw.   It was the source of Egypt's bounty due to annual floods.  It was also a highway. But the delta was not navigable, so not very valuable. It just so happened that Egyptians really don't like shepherds and they are sent off to Goshen.  The Nile delta, the best of the land.  Seems like an odd thing to send detested individuals ...

Good afternoon, A snippet from a Simple Way to Pray.  The letter was to his barber, so the barbering allusions make a lot of sense. So, a good and attentive barber keeps his thoughts, attention, and eyes on the razor and hair and does not forget how far he has gotten with his shaving or cutting. If he wants to engage in too much conversation or let his mind wander or look somewhere else he is likely to cut his customer's mouth, nose, or even his throat. Thus if anything is to be done well, it requires the full attention of all one's senses and members, as the proverb says, "Pluribus intentus, minor est ad singula sensus"-"He who thinks of many things, thinks of nothing and does nothing right." How much more does prayer call for concentration and singleness of heart if it is to be a good prayer!  Blessings, Jeff  This is Job's response to Zophar, the third of the three friends.  Job restates his defense of God's character from chapter 9.  (With him ar...

Dear brothers and sisters, I am again overwhelmed by the steadfast love of the Lord in revealing Himself in the seemingly inconsequential decisions of life.  I pray that what I have written makes sense and leads you into His presence. Format is Luther's four strands. Blessings, Jeff Instruction - Started by thinking about why God brought about the move of Israel to Egypt.  What does this teach me about the LORD and my duty to Him? Calvin quote for Prayer chapter in Institutes. "Let us therefore realize that the only persons who duly and properly gird themselves to pray are those who are so  moved by God’s majesty  that, freed from earthly cares and affections, they come to prayer”.   What is there about this passage that displays God's majesty and so moves me to prayer? Answer:  The unsearchable ways of God.   God sends Israel to Egypt so that Hosea would later describe the Exodus in Hosea 11:1. When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out o...

Good morning brothers and sisters, During sermon yesterday (originally written 10/12/20) I mentioned Martin Luther's approach to prayer in the letter to Master Peter.  I still have much to learn, but hope that we can learn and grow together. In the Beloved Jeff  Using Luther's "wreath of four strands" from  A Simple way to Pray  Instruction, thanksgiving, confession, petition.  Goal is a heart warmed and inclined to prayer. Instruction - textbook - what do these 4 verses teach me about what God expects of me? Not to pass judgment on one another any longer by deciding not to hinder the way of a brother.  Paul gives an example of food.  I think of "pass judgment" as a mental or verbal activity, but "not hindering" is a physical activity.  What I think or say about a brother or sister will show up in the way I treat them.  God is extremely interested in how we live with each other. Note of reminder - Faith and practice.  Paul develops theol...

Good evening my fellow saints in Christ, Sorrow for the late post today.  Hope you all had a blessed Sabbath. Selected Job 9:2-4 for comment today. Jeff  In the face of troubles and the explanation for them from Bildad, Job remains humble.  As we go through the rest of Job, try to compare and contrast Job's statements with those of his friends.  Trying to make a judgment on every statement can prove to be a challenge.  Let us see if we can discern patterns in how each views God and man. Here at least, Job recognizes that God is "wise in heart and mighty in strength".  He maintains the character of God.  He may not understand His actions, but He doesn't doubt His character.  In light of this, he also recognizes that is is foolish to attempt to resist Him. So how did Job come to have this understanding?  Several years ago, I did a chronological read through the Bible.  It wasn't chronological as to when the book was written, but when the e...

The brothers repeat their story that one of their brothers is "no more."  But they do know what they did  They don't know that he is dead, but they do know what they did to him.  He was alive when then sold him about 17 years before.  Joseph knows that they are not telling the whole truth and so do they.  And they know that they have been lying to their father all these years.  . Dear Friends, Looking at Genesis 42:12-17 from today's reading.  Let us reflect as we prepare for worship tomorrow. Jeff Then Joseph tells his brothers that 9 of them will stay and 1 will go back and retrieve Benjamin. If the 1 does not come back with Benjamin, the 9 will be treated as spies. And then locks them up together for 3 days. 10 desperate men in a room for 3 days.  We are not told what they did or thought.  But they were told to "send one".  You choose the one you are willing to trust with your lives.  Maybe it was which one is to be trusted with ...

 Good afternoon brothers and sisters, In case you were wondering if there is any pattern to the verses I put into the blog, I hope you will not be surprised that there is.  Since we will read through New Testament twice, I am looking at 3 Old Testament passages between every New Testament passage.    Sometimes I wonder if God put the Wisdom books in the Bible to make us struggle with the difficult times of life and to keep us humble.   In v1-6, Job is pouring out his anguish in vivid terms.  How would I respond in a similar circumstance.  Mankind proudly strives to fix all kinds of problems.  For example, Job’s friends want to fix his situation by explaining why he has suffered. Unfortunately, they only make things worse.  I think of development of medicine.  We truly have come a long way.  But the Nobel prize for chemistry was just awarded to two women who are working on "editing" the human genome. Can we really think manipula...

Today's gospel reading is Mark 10. On the road to Jerusalem, James and John have lost the bubble.   Fascinated by "we want you to do for us whatever we ask".   In light of "Lord's prayer" third petition (Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven), they have obviously missed the point.   After watching Jesus for three years, they ask Him to do their will.   I start to wonder why they could be so wrong. But then I look at the things I want God to do for me.  Not asking to sit beside Him in the kingdom, but still treat Him as my errand boy. O God, I repent A - our Father, You are the one who prepares the honors of Your kingdom.  Even the Son does not presume to act outside your will C - there is still too much "James and John" in me. Convinced that my wants define Your will.  Abuse of the blessing of prayer. T -  firm but gentle correction for them and for me.  Mercy. S - let me see my wants through the lens of Your will....

Good morning brothers and sisters, Be encouraged that God is with you as you read His word.  None of this works without Him.  My highlighted passage today is Genesis 39:1-6.  I asked myself the question below and started pondering what the answer might be. Jeff Joseph's story never ceases to amaze me. How did Potiphar come to recognize that Joseph was successful because the LORD was with him?  Moses uses YHWH here even though that is the personal name of God that is revealed at the burning bush. The name that is not revealed for another 400 years.  In fact Moses uses this name throughout Genesis. Once "the source of being" reveals this name at a point in history, it is entirely appropriate to use the name to give glory to Him as Moses writes the history of creation. Therefore when we read the Bible, we must never forget that the LORD is the main character in every page of scripture. Joseph didn't know this name, but he did know God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob....

  Batting lead off for the Friends of Job is Eliphaz from Teman.  The first of Job's friends to speak after seven days of silence. His name means "my God is fine gold". He claims a spirit gave him an explanation for Job's troubles.  This points to the danger of spiritual experiences without discernment.   Contrast Eliphaz with true prophets and how God shows up at the end of the book. Yet he does not question the source of his experience.  A demonic encounter gives him confidence that he has the truth about why Job is suffering.  Of course he may have just added that part to discount what Job says. Sounds more impressive if it is not just his opinion. Of course the interesting thing about the three friends is that their erroneous explanations are in the Bible.  The writer could have left all this out and gone straight to the encounter with God.   Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. We may not fully understand why...

  Can I get an Amen to Jonathan's sermon this morning?  (Originally written on 10/4/20) Regeneration. All grace, we contribute nothing. Faith is response to being made alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit.  I usually have several verses as a theme. But Romans is one of those books where a single verse is enough. I have been listening to Martin Lloyd Jones "famous series" on Romans. Friday night sermon for about 13 years.  Currently in this chapter.   I listen on the RefNet app at 6:30 AM and 7:00 P.M. Every Sunday. Check it out.  We were born spiritually dead.  Our old nature was "in Adam".   The new nature we are given at regeneration is "in Christ" so that we are alive spiritually.  Union with Christ is our position. We are done forever with that old nature.   It has been crucified, dead and buried.   Sin is no longer our master.   This is not sinless perfection. We can and do commit acts of sin, but we...

 And it just so happened that a caravan was passing by.   And they happened to be descendants of Ishmael, their grandfather's half brother. You know the son of Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave.  This apparent coincidence was God's rescue plan to keep Joseph from being killed.  And it just so happened that Judah is the one who comes up with the idea to sell his brother for 20 pieces of silver. Yes, that Judah whose line leads to Jesus who is betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.   That is God's rescue plan for us.  A - the One who works all things together for good for those called according to His purpose.  C - misreading events as an "open door" so as to affirm what I want and ignore the violation of moral code.  T - all scripture is for our benefit.  S - enable us to see Your hand in all of life.