Sunday, June 27, 2010

Promise

Monday, June 28, 2010: Romans 4:3–4 (New King James Version)

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

How was Abraham, a sinner, made perfectly right before God? He believed God’s word. This faith cleared his slate of sin.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010: Romans 4:13–14 (NKJV)

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect

If heritage in Abraham is not by keeping the law, what is his inheritance? His true inheritance is the result of faith in God’s word: getting your slate cleaned of sin by faith in God’s promise.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010: Romans 4:16 (NKJV)

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

The promise was made to Abraham’s descendants. Who are Abraham’s descendants? By law they are Israel, by promise, they are all those who believe in God’s word.

Thursday, July 1, 2010: Romans 4:19–22 (NKJV)

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Having lived to be 100 years, what did Abraham still believe? Abraham still believed God’s promise of giving him an heir in whom the whole world would be blest.

Friday, July 2, 2010: Romans 4:23–25 (NKJV)

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

What is the ‘clean slate’ promise? God raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, who took the punishment for our sins. All those who believe in Him have a clean slate.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Love's Sums and Differences

Monday, June 21, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

Background: Paul the Apostle writes to the Corinthian Church, in which many jostled for position and recognition, about a more excellent way: love.

If I speak in ‘tongues,’ human or heavenly, without love, what is my speech like? Imagine a cartoon in which every time a puppets mouth opens, a cymbal clangs!

Repeat this over and over again. This is the effect without love.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:2

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Wisdom + mountain-moving faith + prophesy – love = __? Zero.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:3

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Heavenly profit: Donate all to feed the hungry + martyrdom – love = __? Zero.

Thursday, June 24, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:8

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Future grades: Prophecy = F, tongues = F, knowledge = F; love = __? A!

Friday, June 25, 2010: 1 Corinthians 13:9–10

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

Human knowledge = 1/ 1,000,000; human prophecy = 1/1,000,000: What happens at the end of human history? All things human = 0.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Ungodly Men

Background: Jude, the half brother of Jesus Christ, did not believe in Him till after the resurrection. Jude’s letter validates being ‘saved’ as having belief that Christ paid for our sins. The rest of his short letter is a warning against certain ungodly men who creep into the assembly of believers to destroy. BEWARE!

Monday, June 14, 2010: Jude 4

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

What do these ungodly men do? These men take salvation as a license to commit sexual sin and deny Jesus Christ who paid for sins.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010: Jude 8, 10

Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

What are some additional characteristics by which we can recognize these ungodly men? They commit sins against their own bodies, criticize authorities and corrupt the natural part of themselves.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010: Jude 12–13

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

What are their relational distinctives? During a love feast, they serve only themselves, not others. They don’t contribute, or help with the cleanup but speak without fear against others.

Thursday, June 17, 2010: Jude 16

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.

How do these ungodly men create dissension? They complain about some and use flattery to sway those they wish to befriend.

Friday, June 18, 2010: Jude 19

These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

What is possibly the worst effect of these ungodly men? They cause a split-up in a local group of believers.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Regeneration: Born Again

Monday, June 7, 2010: John 3:3, 7

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Background: Jesus Christ was speaking to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

What can you not see if you’re not born again? You cannot see the Kingdom of God. Non-trivially, if you are, can you see it? Yes, because you are part of the Kingdom of God.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010: John 1:12–13

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Background: He came to His people, the Jews, who did not accept Him as Messiah.

How do those who accept Him as the One become children of God? This verse clearly states that these have been born of God, making them now His children. This carries the implication that if you are not born of God, you’re not His child.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Does everything change when you are born again? You become a new spiritual being, still wearing the body of flesh. But those who are regenerated know that things will never be the same again.

Thursday, June 10, 2010: Galatians 6:15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Is this difference between those who have the law and those who are lawless? No, it lumps both together as immaterial: what matters is being born again.

Friday, June 11, 2010: 1 Peter 1:22–23

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever

What is one consequence of being born of incorruptible seed? You love those who have the same faith.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The Anointed One of God

Tuesday, June 1, 2010: Isaiah 61:1–2a

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

Because the Lord has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

This is What Jesus Christ read in a Synagogue when presented with a Biblical Scroll. What is it? The passage is a prophetic statement that Yeshua HaMeshiah, the Anointed one of God, would make.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010: Exodus 30:25

And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

What is an anointing oil? It is a perfume of old times.

Thursday, June 3, 2010: Daniel 9:25

“Know therefore and understand,

That from the going forth of the command

To restore and build Jerusalem

Until Messiah the Prince,

There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;

The street shall be built again, and the wall,

Even in troublesome times.

Who is Messiah? Literally translated, it is the Anointed one of God.

Friday, June 4, 2010: Daniel 9: 26

“And after the sixty-two weeks

Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The end of it shall be with a flood,

And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

What does, ‘cut off, but not for himself’ mean? It means that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be killed: not because of what He did, but for my sins.