April 30 – Psalms 102-105

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 102-105. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

In our reading today there is an incredibly amazing line penned by David. Read again Psalms 102:18 … “Let it be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD …” Friends, you and are that future generation. We are the people that David was writing about. We are the people that David thought about when he penned those words.

Let me ask you are you reading God’s words in such a way that they help you find praise and worship towards God? Are you coming to the word, allowing it to teach you about God? Are you coming to the word and seeing the majesty of God? If not, what do you need to do in your reading each day to make that the case?

When God inspired David, he knew that future generations would read these words and find comfort, strength and praise in them. Cherish the fact that God had you in mind when he spoke through David.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 29 – 1 Chronicles 7-10

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Chronicles 7-10. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

In our chronological reading plan we are now entering a section where the same story is going to be shared in multiple places. We see that for the first time here with Saul’s suicide and the end of his kingdom. Let me encourage you to be careful not to gloss over these various accounts.

When you want to understand a situation you typically talk to as many people as you can, who were there, to get all sides. Why do we do this? Because we understand that one perspective does not paint a full picture. If I watch a car wreck happen, I am going to see something different from one street corner than the person who was on the opposite corner. I am also going to see something different because I possibly focused on a different aspect, maybe the face of the driver at fault, while another focused on the face of the driver blindsided. Multiple perspective help paint an accurate picture of what took place.

That is exactly what we will find as we read these various accounts from different books of the Bible. The chronological plan helps organize them so we come across them in the right order. But the different books give us a full understanding of what has played out, giving us a complete picture. So remember, just because it is a story you have read before in 1 Samuel, what we have here in 1 Chronicles might give a little bit more insight or a different insight.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 27 – 1 Chronicles 6

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Chronicles 6. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

I think we are about done reading through the listing of names, at least here in Chronicles. I have admitted, and I will admit today that sometimes it is hard to read these lists. They certainly serve a purpose. One of the greatest things they show is how the nation of Israel was exactly as God promised it would be … all descendants of Abraham. Each Israelite can trace their heritage back through their tribal clan. It is then through there they go back through to their fathers Jacob, Isaac and to Abraham.

God has certainly fulfilled part of the promise he made to Abraham. His decedents are as numerous as the sand on the sea shore. Now while that part of the promise has found fulfillment God is still working out the larger promise … to bless all peoples on earth through him. That will come in partiality when Solomon is king. It will be during his day that Israel will rise to its greatest power. They are placed as a nation in the Promised Land at the cross roads of the ancient world. They will bless all people on earth. However, the greatest fulfillment of that promise is yet to come. At this point in our narrative we are nearly one thousand years away from the birth of Jesus.

Let me ask you a few questions as you read these names … is it interesting to you to see how God has worked in the life of the Israelites? Do you find the chronological reading plan of the Bible helping you to understand the entirety of the story of God? I hope so. I hope you have enjoyed doing it this way even if it seems very scattered.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 26 – Psalms 73, 77, & 78

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 73, 77, & 78. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

One of the questions that seems to come up when things happen such as the Boston Marathon Bombings, or when we see cancer strike a loyal and faithful follower of God, is why do bad things happen to good people and why do good things seem to happen to bad people? David seems to ask that same question today in Psalms 73. Read again just a sampling of his words … “They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!” (Psalms 73:6-7 NLT)

It’s something we have all seemed to ask from time to time. It’s an observation we have all made at some point. We see the wicked, the crooked, and the relentless get the bigger house and the nicer cars, all while seeing people who seem to sacrifice everything live on the edges of poverty. In our earthly mind something just does not seem to add up right. But let me remind you what David realized himself … “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slipper path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.” (Psalms 73:17-18 NLT) Remember, this world is not our home. If we belong to Christ our rewards are not on this earth. While those who pursued the lustful desires of this world, while skipping a relationship with Jesus Christ, got their rewards here in this life, those who belong to Christ will spend eternity experiencing their prize … God himself!

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 25 – 1 Chronicles 3-5

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Chronicles 3-5. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Our reading today was another one of those difficult ones filled with mostly names. Many of the names though have some meaning, especially to the original readers of the text. These chapters serve as an introduction to the books of Chronicles. These two books serve as a history of the Nation of Israel and later Israel and Judah. This list lays out the names of important people as well as their kings and leaders.

What I find fascinating is two things. We are given names that their indicate history. For us American’s this list would be similar to reading the names of all forty-four presidents of the United States. It is from history we learn the lessons are ancestors did. It is from history, if we pay attention, we learn not to repeat their mistakes. It is from history that we define tradition, values, and memories to cherish. For us reading these names can be hard, because outside what we read in the Bible we have emotional attachment. But for the original readers, memories, thoughts, and emotions conjure up just as when we read a list of US presidents.

The other thing this list does for the reader is provide some foreshadowing. In our chronological reading of the Bible we are only at the point where David is becoming king. We have not experienced the majority of his kingship let alone his sons, their reign or anything that follows. But here in these chapters we see that the nation is ripped in two. How does that happen? We will soon find out. So hopefully for you this is a great introduction into what is about to happen.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 23 – 1 Chronicles 1 & 2

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Chronicles 1 & 2. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Let me just say congratulations and mad props to you if you completed today’s reading. Readings like today’s can be challenging. For the past couple of weeks I have not actually been “reading.” For the last couple of weeks I have been completing my reading while in the shower and while cooking my breakfast. As I have shared before I use the YouVersion Bible app to do my reading from and this app allows you to use the listener’s version. So instead of actually reading I have listened to it. And let me tell you, while I was listening this morning I was thinking about all you who would be reading.

The reason I think all that is because all we had today were a list of names. And I will be honest it is hard to keep all that straight. But here is the cool thing, the author of Chronicles is beginning his book by introducing all the characters of the story who have brought us to where we are and some of the characters who will soon enter our story. While we may see a bunch of names, those names are the people who have made up the story of the Bible. Did you recognize the names you read as we have went through the story?

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 22 – Psalms 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, & 21

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19, & 21. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Leo Cormier Photography

As we ventured through various Psalms written by David I noticed there was one element of David’s Psalms that rang loud. David was full of praise and adoration for God.

“O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.” Psalms 8:1 NLT

“I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” Psalms 16:2 NLT

The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! 7I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Psalms 16:6-8 NLT

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.” Psalms 19:1-3 NLT

These are only a few verses from today’s reading that indicating an attitude of praise and adoration from David. Let me ask you, is your worship and prayer life praise and adoration to God? If not, what do you need to do to make it so?

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 21 – 2 Samuel 1-4

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 2 Samuel 1-4. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

I absolutely love the respect that David has for his enemies. I think this is what made David known as a man after God’s own heart. When David hears from the Amalekite that he killed King Saul, even though he did not and was just taking credit for it, David had him put to death for not respecting God’s anointed one. When David hears that Saul’s son was killed by a couple of men David reacts in much the same way as before. Even though Saul pursued him and tried to kill him, David had a great amount of respect for his enemy.

While I believe punishment for wrong doing is necessary that does not mean it has to be done with hate and revenge. I love the way the Amish community responded to the man who carried out the massacre of the Amish school room a few years ago when they responded with forgiveness and grace, even attending his funeral. I think this is how Christians are to respond to our enemies. So let me ask you, how are you doing in the area of loving your enemies?

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 19 – 1 Samuel 28-31 & Psalms 18

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalm 17, 35, 54, & 63. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: Skubmic ~ flickr

David and his men had been living with the enemy. When the enemy goes out to fight their king wants to make David and his men his personal body guard. However, his people are not keen on this idea. So he apologizes to David and sends him back to their city. When they return a group of Amalekites has raided and burned their town and mode off with their women, children, and possessions. David’s men want to stone him; however, he decided to seek God’s direction.

He has Abiathar the priest bring the ephod and from there he asks the Lord if he should go after the Amalekites. God responds with yes … how this all played out I have no idea, did God audibly talk with David? I have no clue. … God gave David and his men victory and they returned home with their wives, children, and their possessions.

When you need to make a decision do you invite God into the process? If we are being honest with ourselves most of the time we do not. Maybe we do better on the big decisions than we do on the little ones. Maybe it’s because we make so many little decisions each and every day. Maybe inviting him in into the process looks different than you think. Maybe it is an ongoing conversation you have with him. Maybe it’s making decisions based on your relationship with him like you make decisions based on the relationship you have with your spouse. Think about your process and the frequency with which you include God in it.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 18 – Psalm 17, 35, 54, & 63

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalm 17, 35, 54, & 63. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: alexey05 ~ Alexey Fursov ~ flickr

David continues to teach us lessons on how to handle difficult situations in life. As a man on the run he has created a few enemies. We have seen just Nabal and Saul, but I am sure there have been a few others. With enemies growing how does David deal with them? Maybe he took action that the Bible simply does not record for us. But according to his writings he goes to God. He hand them over to God, and asks God to fight his battles.

Do you go to God and ask him to fight your battles? Maybe it is an over demanding boss at work. Maybe it is a parent of another child that is on your kid’s team that just grinds your gears. Maybe it is a relationship you have with a parent. Maybe it is changes taking place at your church. I do not know what your battles in life are right now but I know David was called a man after God’s own heart. I have to think that is because in almost everything he did, he sought God’s leadership in his life. We must do the same.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 17 – 1 Samuel 25-27

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 25-27. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

David and Abigail teach us a really important lesson about anger and vengeance in our reading today.  David and his men have been in the wilderness of Moan. In that area was a wealthy man named Nabal, a descendent of Caleb … Caleb you will remember, who along with Joshua, was one of the twelve spies sent into the Promised Land after coming out of Egypt. While in this region David and his men had not taken anything from Nabal and in fact had provided protection for Nabal’s livestock and men. When the men went to sheer sheep, David made a request for some provisions. Nabal blatantly refuses.

Now we must read this in account with the scope of the culture of their day. We might look at this and say Nabal was completely in the right to not give the provisions David request … after all he did not ask David to live there and offer protection to his men and livestock. But that is our culture not theirs. Because of Nabal’s rejection, David burns with anger. He decides that Nabal and all the men in household and in his service must die.

As David sets out to destroy Nabal, his wife learns what her husband has done and prepares a gift for David and his men and sets out to meet him. When she meets up with David she speaks with sense and ends up talking David out of his anger. Through this discourse David realizes that anger is not the best option for him to operate under and that God will revenge Nabal’s wrongs. Read again David’s words … “David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.” (1 Samuel 25:32-33 NLT)

Let me ask you this … how willing are you to listen to the sense of others when you are burning with anger? It is wise to not act in anger, to not act in the moment, but to let yourself calm down where reason and sense can provide clear direction. Just think, if you operate this way the hurtful things you say to your spouse, to your children, to co-workers might not be said because you are letting the venom of your anger subside before proceeding. Just think, you may not have to fix the dry wall from the hole your fist put in it from your anger if you walk away and calm down. If not anyone else, let the working of the Holy Spirit move in you to calm you down before you do something that is not a part of who you really are and desire to be.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 16 – Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, & 142

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, & 142. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

Photo Credit: foxnews.com

Yesterday afternoon we were unfortunate witness to another attack on our fellow citizens at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Sadly these news cycles have become too familiar. In our world today it is not uncommon to see evil triumphing greatly. As I ponder these event, I am reminded that evil has always been around, and unfortunately it will always be around. Our reading for today reminds us where our strength must come from.

Read these words from David again … “O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” (Psalm 56:1-3 NLT) or … “I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.” (Psalm 120:1 NLT) or … “O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips.” (Psalm 140:1-3 NLT).

David knows where to turn when evil takes place. Let me encourage you to do the same in your hour of need. Let me encourage you to turn to prayer when evil streams across the screens of our televisions, computers, and electronic devices. And let us remember that our home is not this world, but eternity in the very presence of God himself.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 15 – Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, & 52

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, & 52. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word. Also above in the tabs is a link to the Bible reading plan.

One of the challenges in doing a chronological reading of the Bible is how much jumping around the Bible you actually do. That happens because the Bible is not organized in chronological order but in various groupings. So far we have been able to go in chronological order as we have journeyed through the first six books. But remember back in January after Genesis 1-11 we read all of Job. In a few places we even picked up a Psalm or two. Now that we are in 1 Samuel the chronological mix up is going to get into hyper drive. You will notice in the reading plan we may read a chapter from 1 or 2 Samuel as well as a Psalm or two. In a few weeks we might be reading from 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms. A few weeks after that we might read from 1 or 2 Kings, 1 or 2 Chronicles, a Psalm, and even from one of the Prophets. This can get pretty confusing. To help you with that I have attached the Bible reading plan in a tab at the top of my blog right under the pictures. You can easily open it and download it from there.

 

Photo Credit: First Baptist Church Covington

To make following the reading plan a little easier let me share with you how I do it each day. I use You Version, which is the Bible app available in both the Apple Store and the Google Play store. The great thing with this program is its free and it syncs through a free account on all of your Android devices, Apple devices, and your PC or Mac. Once you log on you can subscribe to a reading plan and there are multiple to choose from. The one we are doing is the Chronological plan. This tool has made the Bible reading incredibly easy as I sit down with my iPad, droid phone, or even my computer to complete each days reading.

Today is going to be all about advice in making your Bible study and prayer time with God a little more meaningful. Let’s continue that theme as we look at our reading today. David is currently on the run. Saul is after his life. He is fearful that David will remove him from the throne and end up killing him and his family. David has now resorted to living in the wilderness, hiding out in dark caves, and changing his location often. Today we read from David himself in the book of Psalm’s. David can be attributed with a vast majority of the Psalms we find there.

What I love as I read the words of David is we are getting a glimpse of his prayer life. When things go wrong and when things go right David writes about it. I like to view many of the Psalm’s as David’s prayer journal. That’s something I have recently started to do. I have heard about it a lot, I have read about from others, and finally I decided it was time to start prayer journaling. Now let me tell you my words I write are no where near the poetic beauty of David’s. Also my written words are not as praise worthy of God as we find in David’s. But, the few short months I have been prayer journaling have been amazing. Let me explain why.

Photo Credit: Moleskin App Page

When I prayer journal, which does not happen every day, I am forced to slow down in my thoughts as I write them out … yes I write with a pen, not on paper, but on the Moleskine app for my iPad. I find this slows my thoughts down, because my writing is much slower than my typing. Now everything I am thinking does not end up written down. But let me tell you, when I am finished, I typically have been taken to a whole new place. I tend to feel peace and calm. I can just imagine David coming to this same place when finished, especially during the time when he is on the run. So friends, let me encourage you to start prayer journaling. It may not be for you right now, but give it a shot and see if it helps you in any way.

At West Side we believe highly in prayer. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 14 – 1 Samuel 21-24

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 21-24. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Have you ever found jealousy of another brewing in your heart? Maybe a sibling who made better grades, a co-worker that has the corner office, a neighbor who seems to purchase every new little toy, or a friend who things just seem to go good for? How did that Jealousy leave you feeling? Did your jealousy do anything positive for you?

Today we read about jealousy in the heart of Saul. He has heard the chants from the crowds … “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands,” (1 Samuel 18:7 NIV) from our reading yesterday. From there he begins to be jealous of David. Samuel has already told him that the throne will be taken from him, and David with his popularity seems like the likely candidate. So Saul wants David dead.

But what good did this jealousy do for Saul. It did none. However, it did drive him absolutely mad. It caused him to act in ways he normally would not. It caused him to be paranoid … killing the Priest for aiding David even when they were doing so out of kindness when David lied to them. It caused Saul to leave his nation vulnerable to attack while he chased David through the wilderness. Jealousy did nothing positive for Saul.

Jealousy will do nothing positive for you either. Do your best to strike it from your life. Do your best to be content with the blessing that God has given you. I bet if you find contentment you will double your happiness. No longer will you be chasing someone else’s dreams. No longer will you be trying to live up to others life styles. No longer will your heart long to be someone you are not. Go ahead, give up jealousy and try contentment.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 12 – 1 Samuel 15-17

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 13-14. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Photo Credit: Cyberbrethren

How obedient are you? Do you follow God’s commands with flying colors? Do you fail from time to time? I think we all do from time to time. We all have moments of weakness, moments where we do not glorify God. Whether that is in the things we choose to use the internet for, or the tone we speak to our spouses and children with, or simply the attitude we go through life with. We all fail God no matter how hard we try.

It’s what we do after our moment of failure that matters. Today Saul failed God majorly. He was God’s chosen king of Israel, but he weakened to the voices of those he was called to lead. God told him to destroy everything of the Amalekites, but the people wanted to keep the best of their livestock. This was in direct disobedience. Side note, when you choose leaders for your churches, if they seem to be following God, if they seem to be scriptural, but you don’t like it because it is different, submit to their leadership, especially if you choose them. Saul listens to his men and disobeys God.

He tries to justify himself to Samuel, he shares that he wanted to offer the best to God, but this isn’t what God wanted. Saul eventually came to the right point when he said … “Yes, I have sinned, I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.” 1 Samuel 15:24-25 NLT. I think the thing to do is to begin with repentance. Don’t justify your actions, don’t skirt around the issue, don’t make excuses, but repent when you are wrong. Here’s the cool thing … in Christ we are forgiven, we will mess up, but we are forgiven. We must have heart of repentance.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 11 – 1 Samuel 13-14

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 13-14. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Photo Credit: Taken From "The Creative Penn

It is amazing to see what one motivated person could do. Jonathan had a daring plan and he carried it out. His simple action of climbing the cliff and taking the attack to the Philistines helped turned the battle to the Israelites advantage. And to think they only had two swords in the entire army … Saul’s and Jonathan’s. It’s cool to see what God will do when one person is willing to step up and take action.

How can that same sort of scenario play out in your life, community, and church? Just think if you were the one in your neighborhood who started to share your faith and reach your neighbors for Jesus. The entire neighborhood could change. Tired of the fighting that constantly goes on in your family? What if you stepped up and made a positive change in their lives, showing love, grace, and kindness … what kind of change could you make? What about in your church? Something not getting done or is something not taking place? What if you stepped up to fill in that gap? Just imagine what more could be accomplished for the kingdom because you stepped up to fill that gap.

One person is often all it takes. One man, Martin Luther King Jr., had a dream and that dream brought the beginning of true civil rights change. One man, Harriet Beecher Stowe, wrote a book that helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War thus bringing an end to slavery. One woman, Clara Barton, laid the ground work for the American Red cross, and now thousands of people are annually helped in their hours of needs. One Man, Jesus Christ, died on a tree, resurrected from the grave, and now provides salvation to all mankind from their sins. What can you one woman or man do?

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 10 – 1 Samuel 9-12

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 9-12. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

 

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Something happens in our reading today that makes me thankful I am living in the Christian age where Christ is King. We witness the first king of Israel becoming king. As he does so, the Holy Spirit descends on him … “Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.” 1 Samuel 10:10b NLT. The Holy Spirit came upon Saul and empowered him as king and ruler. But here’s the thing, this was not an all encompassing outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

As we read through the story of the Old Testament we see the Holy Spirit descending on various people over and over again. We saw it with several of the judges. We will soon see it with David. But here’s the thing, it’s not made available to all people, and it is not a permanent gift. For some it was given to accomplish what they were tasked to do. To others it is taken away … we will soon see this with Saul.

Here is what I love … in Christ, when we believe, when we confess, when we meet him in baptism all Christians are given the gift of the Holy Spirit … see Acts 2:36-38. It’s not just special people, it’s not just kings, and it’s not just delivers, its for all Christians. Like the judges, like Saul, like David I have the power of God living in me. For that I am grateful.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 9 – 1 Samuel 4-8

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 4-8. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

In our reading today and yesterday we observe two men and their sons. First we encounter Eli and his sons Hophni and Phineahs. Eli was a noble man of God, however, that character did not descend to his children. They were wicked cruel men as they served God and his tabernacle. They are even responsible for the Ark of the Covenant when it is lost to the Philistines. While Eli was concerned with his duty of serving as priest he failed in his duty as father. He gets a redo in his opportunity to raise our second father in Samuel. Samuel is Eli’s redemption as a father, and this time he succeeds.

However, Samuel seems to not learn from the mistakes of his adoptive father Eli. When Samuel grows old and the daily duties of judging Israel are too much for him he appoints his oldest sons Joel and Abijah to hold court.  Here is what the Bible says of them … “They were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.” (1 Samuel 8:3 NLT). The elders of Israel decide this arrangement is not working for them. They now want to be like the other nations … horrible mistake, I could write a whole post on this … and they want a king … by wanting a king they are rejecting God … do you do that in own life?

How can two great men go so wrong when it comes to raising their sons? Now sometimes no matter how terrific the parent might be there can be a disposition to a person that causes them to be a “bad apple.” However, I am a high believer that the next generation is a product of their parents and the generations that have come before. Think about this … the sexual experimentation we see in our teenagers today is not their doing … it’s their parents and grandparents generation that has gradually loosened the moral code and allowed so much more on TV, the internet, and in music. Teenagers today are not controlling the content that is out there; they are just simply the consumers of it. This content for the most part has been generated by the generations ahead of them.

Friends, maybe I am on a soapbox, maybe I am meddling this morning, but I strongly believe that we have a high responsibility to raise our children to be followers of Jesus Christ. That should come first and foremost beyond anything else. We cannot get caught up in living our dreams through them. We cannot get caught up in giving them every opportunity under the sun. We cannot get caught up in lavishing every richness of the world on them. All while their faith, belief, and relationship with Jesus Christ is suffering. I am seeing this too often in our church and it is breaking my heart. Do not be like Eli and Samuel … great men and women of God … who have children who do not truly know God beyond the lip service they might pay him.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 8 – 1 Samuel 1-3

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from 1 Samuel 1-3. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Hannah has waited a long time for a child. Finally God grants her this child she has longed for. After he is born and dedicated to service to God she utters a prayer of praise in chapter two. Dr. James E. Smith author of The Books of History divides this prayer into four sections … 1) She rejoices in the personal deliverance from a life of misery, 2) She rejoiced in the person of God-his holiness, his strength, and his knowledge, 3) She rejoiced in the government of God, 4) She rejoiced in her hope … some scholars believe this has prophetic undertones of the coming Messiah revealed in Jesus Christ. [1]

What I find striking in this list of four things is the repetitive word used by Dr. Smith … rejoiced. Hannah prayed over and over for a child to be born to her. Finally her desire was granted. What is great is she does not neglect God after he answers her prayers. I think too often we are guilty of making our petitions of God, but when God blesses, when God provides, and when God answers too often we do not return to Him … we do not rejoice. Hannah teaches us a valuable lesson. When God works and moves, whether in our eyes it is good or negative we need to make time to rejoice, to worship, and to celebrate God’s working in our lives.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

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[1] Smith, James E. The Books of History. 2. Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 1995. 250. Print.

April 7 – Ruth 1-4

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Ruth 1-4. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Thank you for your patience with the Bible readings while my family and I were on vacation. We had a wonderful time visiting Crystal’s family in Florida as well as taking Alivia to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom for the first time. I should be back to daily blogging and consistency starting today.

Today we start and finish the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth takes place towards the end of the Judges period. We know it is toward the end of the Judges period because Ruth and Boaz are only a few generations removed from David being born who will become the central focus of our next couple of books of the Bible.

As we read the story of Ruth we realize this story is about two women, one the title character Ruth and the other her mother-in-law Naomi. Throughout this telling of Ruth and Naomi’s stories we find one common theme … do what’s right for others. After the death of Naomi’s husband and sons she decides to return home to her own people. Her Moabite daughter-in-laws decide to go with her when she returns. However, she sums up the situation, realizes she will not provide off spring for them to again marry, so she does what’s best for them and sends them home. Orpah finally gives in and goes home, but Ruth does not.

Ruth learns a lesson from Naomi, and just as Naomi looks out for her, she begins to look out for Naomi. She returns with her, and does what is right for Naomi … she gives her companionship, gives her comfort, as well as someone to help provide for her. With Ruth caring for Naomi, Naomi realizes she must do what’s best for Ruth. Devising a plan to both supply what is needed for survival as well as find a husband and redeemer for Ruth, she sends her to work in a close relatives field collecting what has fallen on the ground … remember this concept of collecting what fell on the ground was given by God in the Law to provide for the poor and the widows.

Naomi sends Ruth here to provide for their needs and to find her a husband. The plan works and we find Ruth meeting Boaz. Boaz in multiple ways carries on our theme of doing what is right for others. He gives her more than just what fell on the ground. He orders his men to drop things just for her, and to not chastise her if she picks right off the crop itself. But he goes even further … completing the legal requirements to make her his wife and serve as the kinsmen redeemer … to carry on the family line of Elimelech Naomi’s husband.

Through this entire story of Naomi and Ruth we see people doing the right things for other people. How often do you do the same things? How often do you put other’s needs above your needs? This is a great lesson for us to learn … to care for others above ourselves.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 4 – Judges 13-15

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Judges 13-15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Have you ever sought something from God and when he responded you didn’t feel it was a complete revelation? This is exactly how Manoah and his wife felt when an angel of the Lord appeared to her to tell them that they would finally have a child … if an angel appears to you don’t be surprised you might just become pregnant, it seems like so many times this is the reason for angelic appearances – Abraham and Sarah, Zachariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary.

But the revelation to them was not complete and clear in their eyes, so they went back to God and asked for further instruction. How often do you do this? How often do you seek clarity from God? We often hear the beginning of what God has to say but fail to hear the complete story. Seek follow through. Seek clarity. Seek whole thoughts. It might surprise you of how clear God wants to speak with you.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 2 – Judges 8-9

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Judges 8-9. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Sometimes we just need a good reminder that we are all in this together. As Gideon was winding down his campaign his men are growing hungry and they are told to wait until after the battle by two fellow cities before they will feed his three-hundred men. As we know food is fuel for the body. Imagine fighting battles in those days ... An army had to walk to the battle. Each soldier had to carry their own supplies. The battles themselves took physical strength to accomplish. Food was essential. Two towns tell them to finish the campaign before they give them food. For this Gideon brings destruction. It was for their worship, their peace, and their protection that Gideon was bringing this battle before them.

Friends, as Christians we need to remember we are in this together. Too many times we fight trivial battles. Too many times we fight against the direction the world is moving. I am convinced that one of Satan’s tactics is to get us fighting and arguing amongst ourselves and not trying to love and lead people to a life changing relationship with Jesus. If we would just love one another as well as others, I think we could see a drastically different world. We need to unite together, draw together and serve together so that destruction to ourselves doesn't happen and so Christ is glorified.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

April 1 – Judges 6-7

Below are my thoughts from the daily Bible reading of the West Side Church of Christ. Today’s reading comes from Judges 6-7. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

The pain has come. God warned his people that if they did not follow him they were going to have some painful seasons of their life. They have sold themselves out to the people of the land, and now they are paying the price for it. Seven years they have found themselves under the rule of the Midianites. However, God still has an overall plan and purpose for his people Israel. He still plans to use them to bring Jesus into the world. So he isn’t going to hand them over completely.

During this time God will raise up leaders called judges to deliver the Israelites from oppression. He does so today in a man named Gibeon. On behalf of God and with the power of God Gideon does some pretty amazing things for the people. The first place he started was with the objects of worship. This is a powerful lesson for us to learn.

If we want to see change in our lives the first place we have to start is with our worship, with our devotion. It is great to have all these desires to change all sorts of issues in your life. However, when you remove something you are creating a void there. It has to be filled. Why not fill the void before you ever create it. Sure you might want to stop smoking, stop cursing, stop getting drunk, stop filling your mind with pornography, stop neglecting your children, stop turning first to anger, stop being overcome with road rage, and on and on. These are all noble things. But to be perfectly truthful … to do so, first you need to replace them with God and devotion to him. Do as Gideon and strike down the objects of your devotion that are not God, and then put full devotion to him.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.