George Barna as Pastor and Theologian (Part 2)

We continue with the review of George Barna's book Revolution.

Direction Box
The Direction Box is where we come up with ideas and plans of how we will synthesize the Ultimate Box and Nature Box into daily life. Here we list ideas of what we plan on doing to make this philosophy of ministry happen. George gives the following direction:
- Participate in the spiritual practices, personal faith in God, a focused outlook on life, a righteous and upbeat attitude, good character, excessive love of God and people, holy and productive lives.
- Revolutionaries will be involved in community service projects, grow faith in their family, worship God regularly, understand and apply Scripture.
- Get back to a simple First Century lifestyle.
In passing George mentions that Revolutionaries can attend a local church if it helps them grow but they can obliterate it if it does not.

Routine Box
Routine is the prescribed methods you want to put into place to see your ultimate happen. This is where you get as specific as possible in how to implement your methods. It was hard to pull out specific routines in this book. George tried very hard to not be prescriptive. I thought this was a noble thing but if you read carefully you can catch a few general prescribed routines/methods. Here are several from pp. 22-25, 81-84:
- Commit to feeling the awe (worship) of God’s magnificence.
- Intentionally talk to others about Christ and our relationship with Him.
- Serve others.
- Share everything we have with those in need.
- Become friends with others.
- Meet in houses for church.
- Daily demonstrate faith.
- Be a revolutionary every moment of every day.
- Do whatever is right all the time.
- Be willing to listen for God’s voice and orders.
- Have a total disregard for all worldly things such as leadership roles, titles, and benefits.

Education Box
Education is done by the continual renewing and reshaping of the Spirit (p.52). This practice must be intentional and it will alter our daily routines (p.41). I would agree with this. People learn best by experience or putting the Word into practice. I agree with that too. I think George’s beliefs about how we learn are right on track. To his credit, George was adamant throughout the book about living and being a Christian first and foremost. He was big on modeling Christianity; in order to do that properly you have to have a relationship with Him. I could not agree more. I got a sense that he strongly favors the more informal learning environments (e.g., a home, golf course, over a meal). I do not totally disagree with this but I think formal learning and being taught in a classroom type setting is a vital part of how we learn.

Reader beware!
So, in summary, George’s philosophy of ministry sounds great (love God, love others, and don’t let anything get in the way of this), but it must be explored and studied to really get at what he is trying to say. The places of weakness were in his nature box. His beliefs about the Church/church were what led him to dangerous ideas in the direction box. So if you read this book be cautious, be alert, and remember that God is responsible for the creation of the local church (all its spots and wrinkles too!) and wants you to join His Body right where you are at.

George Barna as pastor and theologian (Part 1)

A big thanks to Brad Buhro who gave me a link to Dr. Oord’s article (click to read it) on entire sanctification that helps one understand Dr. Leth’s article and what he is trying to do and say. Sounds like a battle of the theologians is brewing in our Denomination over this. Assembly this summer could be interesting.

I had a chance a month ago to sit down and read Revolution by George Barna (It's a pretty popular book on Amazon and readers think pretty positively about it). You are probably familiar with the many stats you hear from George Barna's research group. So, what happens when Barna stops surveying churches and becomes pastor and theologian?

I just finished learning about something in education known as Frankena’s Boxes (click to see a list of his books). It’s a great tool for evaluating the content and message of a book. Frankena set these five boxes up as a visual way to explain why we do what we do (our philosophy). You start with the Ultimate Box (your goal/mission/vision go here) and move to the Direction Box (what you will do because of what your goal/mission/vision) to the Routine Box (specific things you will do). Along with this you have the Nature Box (what you believe the nature of things to be) and Education Box (how you believe people learna and grow). I’m going to use Frankena's Boxes here to evaluate and critique the philosophy of ministry in this book (I’ve divided this critique up into 2 parts so it won’t be quite as long).

Book Summary
In a nutshell, the book describes a coming revolution, something as great at the Reformation (according to Barna), that will forever change the Church and the church. Barna defines the Church (capital C) as all believers in Jesus Christ, including those that don’t attend or participate in a local church. He defines the church (small c) as the local congregation-based faith experiences which involve formal structure, a hierarchy of leadership, and a specific group of believers. This revolution, according to Barna, is coming to both the Church and church whether we like it or not. We can either change our local churches to adapt to it or we can resist it and watch our local churches whither and die.

Ultimate Box
What is driving George to write a book like this? Every philosophy of ministry has an ultimate that is directing and guiding it. For George, that ultimate is found on page 30, “Every human being was created by God primarily to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. All other activity is superfluous.” This sounds good, right? I mean who wouldn’t say a loud, “Amen!” to this if they heard it from the mouth of their preacher? Barna continues on page 39, “Do whatever it takes to get closer to God and to help others do the same. Obliterate any obstacle that prevents you from honoring God with every breath you take.” We would probably say an even louder, “Amen!!!” to this and maybe cheer. However, a closer examination at where this philosophy leads reveals the cake isn’t as good as the colorful and pretty icing.

Nature Box
The nature box is what we believe about certain things (e.g., what is the nature of the church? Man? The Gospel?). It also includes the cultural and social influences and settings. In this book the nature of the church (both capital C and small c) is greatly expounded upon. I believe that it is here, the nature box, that George makes his greatest mistakes. To help clarify my reasoning for believing that, here is what George believes about the nature of the Church and church:

Nature of the church
- The church (small c) is man-made and unnecessary for believers. It was created not by God, but by religious leaders centuries ago.
- Only one of God’s many instruments, a mechanism according to Barna (p.36), to bring us closer to Him.
- An abiblical idea (not addressed in Scripture) according to Barna (p.37).
- Nature of the Church
- The Church (capital C) consists of all believers in Jesus Christ who have professed Him as Christ and have a lifestyle to back it up.

Barna suggest looking to the book of Acts (2:42-47, 4:31-35, Acts 5) for answers to this question. In summary there are seven characteristics George gives to the First Century Church: Intimate Worship, Faith-based Conversations, Intentional Spiritual Growth, Servanthood, Resource Investment, Spiritual Friendships, and Family Faith.

Nature of humans
- In need of Christ and others to hold them accountable and help spur on growth.
- Not made to do this alone.
- Possess a sinful nature and will be sinners until death.

I thought George did a terrible job of trying to be discrete in his overtly obvious attempts to bash the local church and get us to drift away from it to something better. I thought his beliefs about the nature of the church were confusing at best and heresy at worst. Believing that our local churches are just man-made institutions leads to horrible conclusions (i.e., you don’t need it to grow spiritually or to mature in the faith; you’re ok if you don’t attend). As a matter of fact, George seems to indicate you are probably better off without the local church.

George seems to have missed the rest of the New Testament’s teachings on the local church and the role it played in shaping believers. The local church is the Body of Christ on Earth. It’s not the entire Body, but it is His manifestation of it in a particular town/city. George does not get this, but sees the church as an obstacle to true growth in Christ. Even the apostle Paul, on his many missionary journeys, was trying as hard as he could to establish local churches in the cities he visited. He even wanted them to contribute to each other (i.e. Ephesus) and hold each other accountable for meeting together on a regular basis.

This is where George’s philosophy of ministry gets dangerous. He says he has studied the Church of the New Testament but his presuppositions regarding the local church have tainted his findings. Instead of seeing local churches being established by Christians all over the Roman Empire, he shuts his eyes to this tedious work and concentrates on just the characteristics of believers.

Next week we'll examine his direction, routines, and education boxes.

Entire Sanctification Part 2

Part 2
I apologize to those of you who would like to read this article. I tried finding it online to put in a link to it and couldn’t. If you are interested in reading it I can email it to you. Below is part 2 to the article. In this section Dr. Leth covers holiness and “secondness,” holiness and love, and responsible grace.

4) Holiness and “Secondness”
We should understand entire sanctification as “theologically normative rather than experientially normative.” Theologically normative means this is what happens. Experientially normative explains how we may experience it. The problem with the latter, as Dr. Leth points out, is that people make their experiences the norm for everyone else. If someone didn’t experience it in the way you did then they didn’t really experience it at all. This should be avoided and we should have some room to wiggle around within the various ways a person can experience entire sanctification. Because we don’t all experience it in the same way.

5) Holiness and Love
Really being able to love means first of all that we love God. This is what we were primarily created for. I would agree.

This section was where I felt a little confused. I don’t think Augustine had it right when he said the fundamental human problem is that our love is misdirected. Isn’t the fundamental human problem the lack, or loss, of love in us that vanished after the Fall? I’m not one to argue with Augustine (because our mere human love is misdirected from God and others to only ourselves), but isn’t it hard to misdirect something you don’t possess?

Paul writes in Romans 5, “God has poured out his love (agape) into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” This love is not from us, it is from God. Isn’t this why the writers of the New Testament used the noun agape to describe Godly love? They had to come up with a totally different word for God’s love. Isn’t there a distinction between human love and the love of God? Isn’t this what entire sanctification is all about? Our love does become ‘perfect love’ (to borrow from Wesley) in entire sanctification because God fills us with His love. Harald Lindstrom points out that this is the chief mark of John Wesley’s view of entire sanctification (from his book Wesley & Sanctification, p 139). This is how we fulfill Jesus’ words to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).

This section was fuzzy and confusing. Maybe I was misinterpreting the message here, my ignorance makes that a frequent occurrence, but there was no talk at all about the distinctiveness of God’s love and the role it plays in entire sanctification. On a similar side note there isn’t really any mention in the 2005-2009 Nazarene Manual of entire sanctification being all about God filling us with His love. Why is that? How could we change and communicate that better?

6) Responsible grace
Dr. Leth believes in the believer working with the Holy Spirit but he affirms that spiritual formation is, “first and finally, God’s work.” I don’t believe practicing the spiritual disciplines will entirely sanctify us (neither does Leth) but they may help a person get closer to that crisis moment. I think Dr. Leth agreed with this. This is the amazing thing about grace. If God’s Spirit is working in us, all things will be worked together for the good of those who love Him.

What are your thoughts on this?

New Baby & Entire Sanctification part 1

Thursday Thinking is back! My wife and I had our second child this week. What a beautiful thing! This was my first time to experience a C-section (hers too!). We both survived. A beautiful baby girl was the result; she was a bit on the heavy side, 9 lbs. 1oz.

This summer Nazarenes from around the world will be gathering for General Assembly in Orlando, FL. One of the big issues to be discussed will be Article X on entire sanctification. Comments and whispers have been popping up over the possible changes to this second work of grace that might or might not happen. Dean of the School of Theology at Olivet Nazarene University, Dr. Carl Leth, has written an article to prepare us for what’s possibly in store at General Assembly.

So, here is one measly little associate pastor’s thoughts on Carl M. Leth’s article titled Trajectories: Identifying Key Issues for Article X (Article 10 which is Entire Sanctification). This paper was emailed out to all pastors on my District (NEI). As I read through it several times some thoughts came to my head. There will be two parts to this, so come back next week for part 2.

Overall, Dr. Leth made some great points. Here’s a recap:

Intro and why language matters
- Language matters. Language does matter and Dr. Leth was right on the money when he said, “language conveys meaning and, inescapably, values.” I think Nietzsche himself said the only way we could ever get rid of God in our society is to get rid of language. Language sets boundaries and helps us explain truths. We need it! I agree.

Section 1) Our distinct Understanding of Holiness
- I would agree that our understanding of what entire sanctification does in a person is crucial and the place to start. If we are not clear here, we will have all kinds of problems. Though we may explain to each other in different terms (e.g., sanctified, entirely sanctified, filled with the Spirit, baptized with the Spirit, fully surrendered, etc.) we have to be crystal clear in our understanding of just what it is we are talking about. We need a solid, consistent, and precise definition to help us understand entire sanctification. We need something in place we can keep coming back to that is unique and distinct in its definition of entire sanctification. What do you mean when you tell me you were, “filled with the Spirit”? Is that the same thing as “entirely sanctified,” or “baptized with the Spirit”? Is your understanding the same as my understanding? If so, we can move forward. I think this was the point Dr. Leth was making.

2) Baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Entire sanctification is not the starting point for when we receive the Spirit. This happened when we began our life with the Spirit, when we first confessed, repented, and believed in Jesus Christ as God’s Son and Savior.
- Entire sanctification is the point where we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit in us.

3) Trinitarian Language
- I think Dr. Leth makes a good argument for why we need to talk about the Holy Spirit’s role in the sanctification process and not refer to it in generic Trinitarian language. It seems most people have a hard enough time believing in the Person Jesus Christ who took on human flesh and dwelt among us. How much harder it is to believe in a Person like the Holy Spirit whom we cannot see. We do not want to diminish the role of the third Person of the Trinity by excluding Him in our conversations about His work in our lives. If we talk of the process of sanctification in terms of the work of the Trinity as a whole, we diminish the role of the Spirit and His personhood.

Any thoughts on this?

Parts 4, 5, 6 will be next week.

Happy Palm Sunday!

Luke 19:28-48

Today is Palm Sunday. This marks the end of the Lenten season; our prayers, meditations, and fasting has come to a close.

This morning I’m reading Luke 19:28-48. This is one of the classic Palm Sunday passages. Verse 28-40 describes Jesus’ donkey ride to Jerusalem. He rides in on a colt (a young donkey). This had to be a surprise to everyone. Why? Messiahs don’t ride in on measly donkeys! They come galloping in on a mighty horse waving a sword! Jesus shatters their expectations of the Messiah again. The reaction is quite a scene. All Jesus’ disciples lay the garments down and shout and sing praises to God. Were they really worshipping Him for the right reasons? Did they think He was coming to die? Did they think God’s Son would save them by dying on a cross?

The Pharisees get pretty bothered by all this singing and shouting. Maybe it was too loud for them? They ask Jesus to tell his disciples to shut-up. I love Jesus’ response, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” In other words, somebody is going to be praising God today. Along with this story is the passage of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem for not believing in Him (vv.41-44) and Jesus clearing the temple and reminding the people that God’s house is a house of prayer (45-48).

I hope you remember and think about Jesus today and the rest of the week as we approach Good Friday and Easter. May this be a special time of reflection and meditation for you upon God the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Day 23/Chapter 23

I was hoping to be done with my study and reading of Deuteronomy by tomorrow (Palm Sunday). This was a part of my fasting and meditating upon Christ for the 40 days of Lent. I’m obviously not going to finish. Not that I won’t finish reading Deuteronomy, but I am going to take a break from hacking and slashing my way through this wonderful book. Plus, my wife and I will be having our second child on Monday. Can't wait! She migt be a little upset if she finds me blogging! This next week I’m going to go back to the normal Thursday posting.

(23:1-8) This section continues the regulations concerning worship. In this section God deals with men who are emasculated. One thing I wasn’t sure of was if this for men who intentionally did this or it happened accidentally? The NLT uses some pretty bold and clear language here in regards to this verse and what it is trying to say. I’ve been enjoying the NLT translation of Deuteronomy. I would recommend anyone wanting to read through this book to do it in the NLT. It makes a complex book a lot more clear and easy to read. God gives specific names of groups of people he does not want the Israelites worshipping with. Maybe I should say these people are not to be admitted to the “assembly of the LORD.” Why is this so? Because these nations did not help Israel after they left Egypt. Instead they cursed them.

(9-25) This section is titled “Miscellaneous Regulations” in the NLT. It deals with various other rule and regulations God wants the Israelites to follow. The crux of the matter is in verse 9. God wants the Israelites to stay away from anything that would cause them to become impure. God is giving the Israelites every possible chance (He’s covering all the different things they would need rule and laws in) to follow Him and His regulations. He does not want them to miss out on the quality of life they are to live. It would be interesting to explore in more detail each of these regulations and why they were so important. That may be a future project. We will see.

I hope you continue reading God’s Word daily and soak up His words for your life.

Day 22/Chapter 22

Chapter 22 observations

(22:1-12) Half of this chapter deals with various laws that are mostly related to interaction with others. Examples are helping your neighbor with his lost things (e.g., ox, sheep, cloak, donkey). God puts a priority on returning what is lost to its rightful owner. God does not want men and women switching wardrobes (v.5). Why? My presupposition is that it has something to do with role confusion and God wanting each person He has created to be the person He has created them to be. What do you think?

(22:13-30) This half of chapter 22 deals with various marriage problems of the day. Verses 13-19 deal with what to do in case a man lies against his wife by telling everyone she was never a virgin when they married. This is somewhat of a gruesome section in how it asks the parents to confirm the man as a liar (v.17). If the woman is lying she is to be stoned in front of her parents. If a man has an affair with a married woman, both individuals are to be put to death. Verses 25-29 talk about what to do in different rape situations. If a man rapes a girl pledged to be married he is to be put to death. If the girl is not pledged to be married and is raped the rapist is required to pay the father fifty shekels of silver and marry the woman and never divorce her (v.29). The no-brainer verse of the day is verse 30, “A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.”

Day 21/Chapter 21

I started this journey with good intentions (I was hoping to finish this before or by Palm Sunday) but have found it harder and harder to keep up. Why is that?

Chapter 21 observations
- Verse 1-9 gives the Israelites what to do in case an unsolved murder happens. A "young cow" (v.3, NLT) is to be offered as a sacrifice to God. In a remote area away from everyone, its neck is to be broken.
- Verses 10-14 deals with the Israelites marrying captives they take in times of war. If the Israelites want to marry a beautiful foreign woman they can, but she must come to their home and live, shave her head, cut her nails, and be allowed to mourn the loss of her folks for a month. If the Israelite man decides to divorce her, he must let her go free.
- Verses 15-17 deals with the rights of the firstborn. Even if the Israelite doesn’t like the wife who gave him the firstborn, he must still keep his commitment to her and the firstborn. Firstborn sons have special rights.
- Verse 18-21 is section all children need to listen to. If an Israelite had a rebellious son, he was taken to the elders and then stoned. I’m glad I wasn’t an Israelite back then!
- Verses 22-23 are interesting in light of what we will be celebrating in a couple of weeks. Jesus was hung on a tree you could say when He was crucified. According to these verses in Deuteronomy the person who is “hung on a tree” (NLT) is “cursed in the sight of God.” Listen to Paul’s words in Galatians,

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Day 20/Chapter 20

Introduction
This chapter was very interesting. I’ve never witnessed any great wars like World War I, II, Vietnam, but, I have been around long enough to see Desert Storm (90’s), the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems war is just as much a part of our realities as it was then (maybe it’s not quite as regular). Again, the Israelites are conquering a land God promised them. The only way for them to truly take this land is to engage in war. War is the language of the time for the Israelites and God has chosen them as His firstborn. Of course God isn’t for war, but it was the way of the culture. That is important to keep in mind while reading the entire Old Testament.

Chapter 20 observations
- Chapter 20 is appropriately titled “Going to War” in the NIV headings. This chapter deals exclusively with how the Israelites are to act in war.
- Verses 1-9 could be called “Preparing for war,” vv.10-18 could be “Rules of engagement,” and vv.19-20 “Save the trees,”
- The Israelites are to not fear when they go to war. God is fighting their fights (v.4). Apparently they are going to be going up against some fierce enemies and they are not to be intimidated.
- Before they fight they are to hear the words of the priest. He will encourage them to stand strong and not be afraid.
- Apparently the official will give specific individuals opportunities to not go to war (vv.5-8).
- God would rather have used peaceful methods if possible (v.10).
- Again, God wants the Israelites to completely destroy anything that might lead them to worship other gods.
- We even see a little creation care in the last section of this chapter (vv.19-20).

Day 19/Chapter 19

Chapter 19 observations
- Verses 1-13 describes the cities of refuge the LORD wants the Israelites to build as safe places for anyone who unintentionally kills someone. This is a place they can find safety from an accident.
- Verse 5 gives us a case study of an unintentional killing.
- There is a big distinction made between an unintentional killing and murder. Here, murder is preconceived. The murderer “lies in wait” according to the NRSV.
- When it comes to convicting a person one person’s witness will not do. There must be at least two (v.15).
- If the witness is lying, or proved to be a false witness, the people are to do to him what he intended to do to the one he was accusing (v.19).
- God is setting up this justice system among the Israelites to help “purge” them and make them a pure people (v.13, 19).
- There seems to be evenness to this justice system. You are treated as you treat others (v.21).

Day 18/Chapter 18

We continue the journey of exploring Deuteronomy. You can see that God is forming a people who are different and distinct from every other nation around them. He is trying to do something special with Israel. Here are some observations over chapter 18.

Chapter 18 observations
(1-8) This section focuses on the Levites, also known as God’s ministers. God has given this group, this whole tribe, no inheritance in Israel (I’m thinking that is referring to land?). God is their inheritance (v.2). They have to rely upon others completely. They eat of the offerings of the people. The offerings the Israelites bring to the place where God dwells (Tabernacle/Temple) are shared with them.

(9-13) God again informs the Israelites of how He does not want them to copy the “detestable” practices of the other nations. They are called to be different and set apart. God wants His people to be blameless. What are the other nations doing that is so bad? They are practicing magic, sacrificing their children in fire, casting spells, and talking to the dead (vv.10-11). These things take the Israelites focus off God.

(14-22) In this section we talk a little about prophets. Apparently the Israelites wanted a man to speak God’s message to them instead of God Himself (v.16). We have one of the marks of a true prophet given here; what he speaks must take place in order for him to be a true prophet of God. Obviously, there would have to be more to the test than this. You have to take into account the warnings given in chapter 13 about prophets.

Day 17/Chapter 17

I’ve reached the halfway point in my 34 days with the book of Deuteronomy. It has been a lot more interesting than I expected. I love watching and seeing how God provides and forms His people. He is trying so hard to create a people who love him with all their heart, soul, and strength (6:5).

Chapter 17 observations
(17:1-7) Chapter 17 continues that theme. God is working to keep His people’s focus on Him. He’s helping them be kingdom seekers. He doesn’t want them drifting away to worship other idols or be led astray. If anyone leads an Israelite astray, they are to investigate the matter thoroughly, have 2-3 witnesses, and stone the person to death. Why? God wants them to purge the evil from among them. This is how He had to work in this culture.

(17:8-13) We also learn that the Levites (the priests) can act in accordance with the appointed judge in cases that are too hard to handle. If contempt is shown towards the priest or judge the person is to be stoned.

(17:14-20) God obviously knows the Israelites will want to be like the other nations around them and be led by a king. So, in this section God gives them advice on picking a king. Choose only the king God selects. Sounds like some good advice! Then God shares what He wants the king to do. He wants the king to be very familiar with the law/His Word. He indicates that he wants the king to write the law and read it (vv.18-19). The promise, if the king does this, is that the king and his descendants will have a long and happy rule.

Day 16/Chapter 16

Chapter 16 observations
- This chapter divided up into six sections: vv.1-8, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, 21-22. There is a progression within each section; vv.1-17 deal with remembering what God has done, vv.18-20 deal with community relations, and vv.21-22 (this also includes 17:1) deal with the individual.
- Unleavened bread is called “the bread of affliction” in the fist section because it represents Israel’s time in Egypt and when God delivered them.
- The Israelites are to leave no leftovers in the morning when the sacrifice for Passover (v.4).
- Three times the people (the men) of Israel are to appear before God, the feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), Feast of Weeks (I think this is Pentecost), and Feast of Tabernacles.
- Judges and officials (v.18) are used in each of the Israel’s towns to help keep peace and bring justice to those who need it.
- In the last section (vv.21-22) God warns the people of turning to pagan practices (e.g., Asherah poles and sacred stones).

Comments
God, as we have seen already, is all about remembering. Here He establishes three big feasts/or parties. These times of celebration are a time for the community to come together and remember together what God has done. There is something powerful when people gather together with God as their reason for it. I can’t help but think of the church. We gather and remember what Christ has done and is still doing for us. We remember together, especially this time of year (Lent), the actions Jesus performed to deliver us from slavery to sin. As the hymn sings,
At the cross, at the cross where I fist saw the light
and the burden of my soul rolled away.
It was there by faith, I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day.

Day 15/ Chapter 15

Chapter 15 observations
- Chapter 15 has three parts to it: 1. Debt every seven years/taking care of the poor among you (vv.1-11), 2. Servants every seven years (vv.12-18), 3. How to sacrifice the firstborn of your flock (vv.19-23).
- At the end of every seven years the Israelites were to forget about their debts with their fellow brothers. This seems to be limited to just within the Israelites (v.3).
- God wants there to be no poor among them. He wants every person taken care of.
- God says the Israelites, “will lend to many nations but borrow from none.” America should try that. Apparently God doesn’t want His people in debt to other nations (it might put them under another nation), but He does want them giving.
- God wants His people to be open to helping a poor brother or sister around them. He doesn’t want them to be penny-pinchers with their money, but generous. He wants them helping others.
- When someone becomes the Israelites servant/slave they are to allow that person (man/woman) the opportunity to go free in the seventh year. God asks them to go even one step further in that they are to supply this former servant with all kinds of supplies and send him off like Egypt sent off the Israelites (vv.14-15).
- It was important in setting aside animals from the flock for sacrifice that the animal be absolutely perfect. God want the absolute best set apart for Him.

Comments
God has a radical way of dealing with debt. What was He up to in regards to these commands? God was building Himself into their calendars for the long haul. What was God’s plan in all this? Freedom and forgiveness. You can see obvious parallels to what Jesus offers. Jesus came to cancel debts, but He also comes to proclaim freedom in the kingdom of God. He cancels our debt and frees us from slavery so we can choose to live life with Him. Are you ready to have your ear lobe pierced?

Day 14/Chapter 14

Chapter 14 observations

This next section of Deuteronomy is an interesting one. It falls into the additional requirements for the people of Israel. First and foremost they were to be God’s people and obey Him. I believe you could sum up the first section of Deuteronomy (chapters 4-11) with Jesus’ words in the Gospels. “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” That is the essence and message of God’s main requirement in Deuteronomy. This next section moves into the extra things to help the people love Him and their neighbors.

If I were to give a sermon over this section it would cover things like:
- Reasons to avoid copying pagan practices (i.e., what to think about the dead, how to memorialize them without idolizing them, what to eat, what not to eat).

- How to give and tithe to God. They were to give a tenth to the LORD and eat this tenth in His presence (the Tabernacle/Temple). Every three years they were to store up their tithes in a storehouse for the Levites (Priests), the alien, fatherless, and widows. So, you see a sense of helping and taking responsibility while giving. Giving was God’s way to teach His people to rely on Him and be thankful.

I guess you could argue that they were not tithing money and so I do not need to tithe money, but their culture and context was different than ours. Money for them would have been what their fields produced, the grain, the wine, the oil, along with the herding type animals they raised (i.e., sheep, goats, cows, etc.). If you don’t believe me that these things were just as good as money look at verse 25. It says they can exchange their tithe (their grains, cattle, oil) for silver (that’s money!). To give a tenth of these was to tithe their income. God wanted them doing this. He says in verse 23 that this will help them, “revere the LORD your God always.”

- I think I would then explore how we give and why. What is our purpose in giving? Why do we do it? Do we think of it as a learning experience? Do we think that tithing can teach us to trust God?

Think that would work as a sermon?

Day 13/Chapter 13

Introduction
I’m finding it hard to be consistent in this endeavor to spend time with Deuteronomy. I’m finding every reason not to have time to read. Sound familiar? I'm finding it even harder to write about it. Maybe that is because my writing skills are way above par and I can't put into words what I'm thinking. That is frustrating. You could probably reverse that too and find some truth! One thing I have discovered is that anything we set out to do on a consistent basis takes commitment and sacrifice. Give me persistence God!

Chapter 13 observations
- Verses 1 through 5 deals with how to handle a false prophet who would entice you to worship other gods.
- Verses 6 through 11 deals with how to handle family/friends who would lead you astray.
- According to verse 10, you are to stone any individual who would try and get you to worship another god.
- Verses 12 through 18 deal with how to handle a town’s/city’s rebellion. According to these verses they are to burn the city and everything in it and never rebuild it.

Comments
This chapter sheds some light on the reasons Jesus’ antagonists wanted to stone Him. They were just following the words in Deuteronomy. Jesus’ presented such a radical picture of God that they thought He was “enticing them to serve other gods.” However, I think if they would have inquired, probed and investigated (v.14) Jesus’ words they would have discovered Truth in what He was saying. I believe there is consistency and logic in Jesus’ teachings about God. It’s just a matter of sitting down and “reasoning together”, as the prophet Isaiah would say, over His words.

Why do so many people just walk away from Him or not even consider Him in the first place? I just heard that more and more people in America are becoming “unreligious” and walking away from religion. Why? Maybe we need a fresh picture of God. A picture so radical that we would fall on our knees and repent and cry. So many individuals throughout the Gospels (e.g., lepers, sick, mistreated, sinners) were given a fresh perspective when they encountered the Person of Jesus Christ. I pray that you (myself included) would encounter His Person today.

Day 12/Chapter 12

Chapter 12 observations
- This chapter is about worship. About how to worship and how not to worship.
- God has specific instructions for how He wants the Israelites to worship. He does not want them to worship in the way the other nations do (v.4). As a matter of fact He wants everything related to their worship (e.g., altars, sacred stones, Asherah poles, idols) completely destroyed.
- Worship of God will take place in a place of God’s choosing.
- The “Name”, or God Himself, will dwell in that place (v.5).
- The rest of the chapter give some specific instructions related to worship.

Comments

Space can be sacred. It is to God. What makes a space sacred or special? In Deuteronomy 12 God is the one who sets apart space and makes it sacred. But, the Israelites are to do the same thing. They are to live in the reality of this sacred space. This is the message of verse 7, “There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.”

Day 11/Chapter 11

Introduction
Took a break yesterday. Losing that hour to DLST has messed me up a little.

Chapter 11 observations
- We have more repetition and reminders of where the Israelites have been and where they are going.
- God wants the Israelites to love Him with everything they got and serve Him.
- Obedience to Him is so important because this group’s children were not witnesses to what God did in Egypt (v.2). So, they could easily forget about the LORD and serve other gods. Maybe this is why there is so much emphasis on remembering the past?
- This going in and taking the land God is going to give them requires strength from above through obedience to His commands (v.8).
- Verse 19 reminds us again of how important a role the family plays in Christian education. Parents are to take advantage of every opportunity to teach their children God’s commands.
- You have the way of the blessing and the way of the curse mentioned in verses 26-29. They are to proclaim the curse from Mount Ebal and the blessing from Mount Gerizim.

Comments
God is thinking ahead in these verses. He is thinking about Israel’s children. He knows firsthand how easily the people of Egypt forget about Him and move towards worshipping other gods. If it is that easy for them, imagine how easy it would be for Israelites born after the exodus from Egypt? God is worried, I think, about second-generation Israelites. Why? Because of their parents. Their parents struggled (read Exodus and you’ll see how much they struggled) to love God and obey Him fully. So, should it be any surprise that their children will do the exact same thing? God wants us to have a strong and vibrant faith because it sets the example for our children. God wants us to be teaching our children by example. Children learn by imitating, but they need an example of what to imitate. If we have nothing to put out as an example for them, then we shouldn’t expect a vibrant and strong faith from them.

Day 10/Chapter 10

Introduction
I thought there was a great picture of God’s heart and love in this chapter.

Chapter 10 observations
- The opening part of this chapter is God’s response to Moses’ prayer in chapter 9. He doesn’t destroy the Israelites like He wanted to do. Instead he has Moses cut two tablets out of rock and gives him the 10 Commandments again.
- What is with this whole notion of God wanting to destroy the Israelites, but changing His mind? Did He really want to destroy them or was this idea purely from Moses’ point of view? Can a man/woman change the mind of God? Was this just God “venting” to Moses about his frustrations with the Israelites and Moses took it the wrong way?
- The tribe of Levi is set apart to tend to the ark, pronounces blessings, and minister before the Lord (v.8). You find out when that happened here.
- Verses 12-22 is a beautiful passage. You have what God wants from the Israelites (e.g., respect Him, love Him whole-heartedly, love their neighbor).
- “To fear him,” is to respect and know He is God and King (v.12).
- “To walk in his ways,” is to live life in Him. “Walk” is used in Hebrew as an expression for “to live,” or “one’s life” (v.12).
- “To love him,” means to put God first and cherish Him (v.12). They are to try their best at this. Obviously their love will be qualitatively different from God’s love, but they are to love him in the best way they can.
- “To serve Him,” is to put love for Him into action (v.12).
- “To obey his commands,” is to show love for Him that is from the heart (v.13).

- This chapter ends with a section I titled “Why you should love God” (verses 14-22).

Day 9/Chapter 9

Introduction
This thirty-four day journey has been interesting. I didn’t think a book like Deuteronomy would speak to me as much, as say, the Gospel of John or James. I was wrong. You would be surprised at how relevant and interesting this book is.

Chapter 9 observations
- We are about ready to leave the desert and cross the Jordan River (v.1).
- The people on the other side are going to create some problems for the Israelites. However, if they will obey God and listen to Him, He will aid them in defeating their enemies.
- I always wondered why this land as the Promised Land? What was it about this land?
- A subtle reminder is given in verse 4 that God is not driving out these other nations because the Israelites are better than them (more righteous), it is because the other nations are so “wicked”. In other words, God doesn’t the Israelites to start thinking they are better because they are Israelites. The people favored by God. God actually refers to the Israelites as “stiff-necked people” throughout this chapter. Very similar to what Stephen said in Acts 7.
- I was unaware Moses did two 40 day fast without bread or water (v.9, v.18).

- Moses’ prayer for the stubborn Israelites can be found in verses 26-29. This is a prayer well worth studying. How does God respond to Moses’ prayer? That is in chapter 10.
- This is a good chapter for those interested in intercessory prayer. Moses talks about how he interceded on Aaron’s behalf and the Israelites behalf (vv.19-20).

Comments
Again we are recapping Israel’s history as we slowly move towards the Promise Land. There has been so much looking back and remembering in these first nine chapters. This somewhat flies in the face of what we teach and preach. We say look forward and forget the past. God says look forward while remembering the past. Apparently God and Moses, working together of course, feel the need to remind Israel of its history and where she has come from through the writing of Deuteronomy. This journey to the Promise Land has shaped and molded her. She has had the opportunity to draw near to God and see that He is all that He says He is.

Day 8/Chapter 8

Chapter 8 observations
- The LORD does not want the Israelites to forget what He has done. Remembering Egypt is another central theme in this book.
- The time in the desert (the 40 yrs) was a period of testing for the Israelites. God wanted to see what was in their heart. In hard times our heart is revealed.
- Their time in the desert was a time of reliance upon God. They became hungry and had nothing to eat, so God fed them. Remember the manna and quail?
- The rest of the chapter encourages and warns the Israelites to not forget about God when things are going well. When their riches are increasing and they have food of their own, they better not forget about what God has done for them.

Comments

How important is remembering to our salvation journey? We each have a particular point or a particular time we received Jesus into our lives. From that time on things were different. We were awakened. We were led out of captivity. God did a wonderful work in us. I can’t help but see parallels between our stories and Israel’s story. If you think about it long enough, Israel’s story is our story too, because we have been grafted into the family of God. God has chosen us too. Our heritage, our story to remember, is the story of Israel.

What do you think about that

Day 7/Chapter 7

Introduction
I keep pressing on towards the goal. I’m on my seventh day of reading and reflecting on Deuteronomy. It has been a blessing. So far, reading these seven chapters of Deuteronomy has been kind of like a re-cap of the book of Exodus. You get this feeling God is sitting down in a chair telling this story to a new generation of followers. There has been a lot more excitement to this book than anticipated.

Chapter 7 observations
- The conquering of the Promise Land is going to be some work. They must completely destroy the groups of people totally. These different groups of people must be completely given over to the LORD.
- The Israelites are a treasured possession to God (v.6).
- Establishing Israel in the Promise Land is going to be a process. It is going to happen little by little. Would I have the patience for this?
- God’s plan for them is very smart and thought out. He isn’t driving all of the different groups out because wild animals would move in and take over parts of the Promise Land if He did (v.22).
- You see towards the end of this chapter that things can be “set apart” for destruction as much as they can for God. We talk of holiness as a person being “set apart” for God, but here you see and hear something a little different. Here the talk is of idols and what those idols will do if the Israelites do not completely destroy them.

Day 6/Chapter 6

Chapter 6 notes
- Why did Moses have to be the one who taught the Israelites God’s decrees and commands? Verse 1 tells us He was directed by the LORD God to do so.
- The shema (means “hear” in Hebrew) is found in vv.4-9.
- There is to be a constant talking about God’s commands and laws according to vv.7-9. Whether the language is literal or figurative the point is that we are always to be aware of and teaching them to others (e.g. our children).
- If the Israelites are asked by their children why they have such laws and decrees they are to tell them the story of their time in Egypt.
- Verse 25 caught my attention for a couple of reasons. In the New Testament, Jesus taught a righteousness that comes from God that was way above our human attempts to be righteous. Here it is implied that by following the laws of the LORD one can possess righteousness. Is that a right standing before God? Is that in regards to the relationship one has with God?

Observations
Again you see the important role teaching and educating one’s children plays. Over and over the Bible places an emphasis on the parents/leader of the household as being the primary Christian educator. I think families today put too much weight in the church to do this. We expect, and rightfully so, our children to go and learn about God at the church, but it cannot stop there. It must come home! We have to be striving to teach our children to obey God’s commands. How does that happen? It starts with us. We have to be following God and obeying. Maybe this is why so many parents today don’t want to teach their children. Maybe this is why parents expect the church to do something and educate their children. So, what role does the church play in all of this? The church is there to equip parents and resource them in teaching their children. Maybe some of you pastors out there could share with us how you equip parents through the church to teach their children God's Word?

Day 5/Chapter 5

Introduction
I’m up a little later than usual, but I’m up. It has been energizing to start each day with God’s Word. I can’t think of any better way to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” than this. I’m now sitting down and preparing for the meat and potatoes of Deuteronomy. This should be interesting and good stuff.

Chapter 5 observations
- There continues to be a constant call from God to remember Egypt. Why is that? That was a bad experience for the Israelites. Why would they want to remember?
- We begin with a rehashing of the 10 Commandments (vv.7-21) that are found in Exodus chapter 20.
- The Commandments can be divided up into two categories: Those dealing with God (vv.7-15) and those dealing with neighbor (vv.16-21). Seeing them like this helps us understand how Jesus was able to sum them up when He said, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”
- The following verses give more detail in regards to how Moses received the Commandments and the people’s initial response. Things started well (v.27).
- “That there hearts would be inclined,” (v.29) is an interesting statement. The 10 Commandments weren’t just a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” to be followed outwardly, but obedience to them was to come from the heart. The heart being the will/spirit of a person.
- “Walk” (v.33) is used in Hebrew as an idiom for one’s way of life. It’s very similar to what John says in 1 John 1:7. In Deuteronomy the Israelites are encouraged to live life with God.

Comments
I’ve been thinking on the importance of the Israelites remembering Egypt. Why did God want them, and remind them so many times, to not forget about their time in Egypt? When we have bad experiences we want to put them behind us and move on. We don’t want to be reminded of them. That’s an individual thing though, this is a whole nation. God asks a whole nation to not forget their slavery and oppression in Egypt. What is God up to? Why the constant reminders? Do they have to look back to move ahead? Can’t they just forget about those painful memories and move on? Is there something more to this?

Day 4/Chapter 4

Chapter 4 observations
- Here we are introduced to the introduction of the laws and decrees of the Lord.
- Other nations will consider Israel wise and understanding if they keep the laws and decrees (v.6).
- There is a nearness to God that the Israelites have, the rest of the chapter reinforces that through reminders, which other nations do not.
- These laws and decrees are going to be respected among others (v.8).
- Moses asks the Israelites to teach these laws to their children and grandchildren.
- There is a constant reminder to remember the past. To remember the “iron smelting furnace” the Lord delivered His people from (v.20).
- There is also a constant call away from idolatry in verse 14-31.
- Moses asks the Israelites to make the decision with their hearts who they will follow. Will it be God or some idol made from human hands?
- If for some reason the Israelites fall into idolatry they can seek the Lord with all their heart and soul and find Him (v.29).
- God is mentioned as being merciful (v.31) and loving (v.37).
- The Israelites are to “take to heart” all that God has done for them (v.39).
- Keeping the laws and decrees is a must. Our theme of obedience continues in this chapter.
- It’s interesting that Moses is God’s go-to-man in bringing the law and decrees to the Israelites. Moses had to know God pretty well to understand why these laws and decrees were needed. You even get a sense that Moses was following these laws and decrees before them (v.5).
- This chapter concludes with Moses establishing several cities of refuge (vv.41-43) and some closing remarks regarding the context for the giving of the law (vv.44-49).

Comments
Attention parents! Parents don’t underestimate the role you play in your child’s faith development. It is huge! In fact, I would say the primary Christian educator for children is their parent(s). I think Moses would agree with that (v.9). Do we really follow and believe this today? Don’t we naturally lean towards the notion that we will just let the church do it? Sunday School is great, but if that is the only time your child is learning about God, I feel sorry for them. That’s a measly 1 hour a week. To put that in better perspective there are a 168 hours in a week and your child is spending 1 hour a week intentionally learning about God. That just doesn’t cut it. No wonder so many people are Biblically illiterate. It’s time to take responsibility for what God has given us.

So, how do we take back our role as the primary Christian educator in our households? This is something I’ll be thinking of as I read Deuteronomy.

Day 3/Chapter 3

Introduction
This morning it was a little harder to get things (e.g., my mind, body) going and functioning properly. I guess I’m not naturally a morning person. I would have loved to just turn the TV on and sit down and relax. As a matter of fact, I did turn the TV on and then off twice. This is the third straight morning I’ve woken up without an alarm. I don’t normally do that. What’s going on? It seems I’m receiving help from above to spend 34 days with the book of Deuteronomy.

Chapter 3 observations
- Chapter 3 breaks down nicely into three sections; Battle with Og (vv.1-11), the passing out of land (vv.12-20), the encouraging of Joshua by Moses (vv.21-29).
- Again the Israelites receive help from God in defeating and destroying the inhabitants of the Promised Land.
- Moses is told to not be afraid as they march into battle (v.2).
- In the last section Moses encourages Joshua. Moses will not be crossing the Jordan River and entering the land. It is unclear as to why that is, but I’m guessing the story will be picked up and explained a little later in the book or elsewhere in a different book. The only thing you can deduce from this chapter is that God was angry with Moses. Moses says in verse 26 that it is because of the Israelites. The phrase, “because of you” is spoken (cf.1:37) in reference to the Israelites.
- Joshua had been right by Moses and seen “with his own eyes” everything God had done. He was now getting ready to cross the Jordan and take the rest of the land.
- There is more work to be done in conquering and claiming the land. The Israelites still have a ways to go, they still have to cross the Jordan and take the cities.
- A very encouraging word is spoken to Joshua in verse 22, “the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Comments
Why so much violence and war? Was this the only way for the Israelites to inherit the Promised Land? I remember discussing this issue in my Old Testament classes at Indiana Wesleyan. Those verses about the Israelites destroying everything, including women and children (v.34) are hard to reconcile with a loving God. I think placing this story and other stories similar to it in the context of the time helps shed a little light on why the Israelites did this. War and violence was the norm of the time. If you wanted land you would go and have a bloody violent fight for it. There was no U.N. to keep peace and talk about things. So, it seems God is just speaking the language of the day through the Israelites and their actions. I bet God would have done this a different way if it was possible in this particular time and culture, but it wasn’t. I can’t help but wonder if so much fighting and victory puffed up the Israelites and made them feel invincible. Maybe that is what led to them turning their backs on God. Maybe they started thinking they didn’t need Him, that they could do it on their own.

It’s neat to see some of the interplay between Moses and Joshua in the last section. It seems they had a tight relationship with each other. Moses had a lot of trust and confidence in Joshua. I’m surprised there is not bitterness here. Moses truly was a humble man and he respected God’s decision to not let him enter the land. So, he is preparing and encouraging Joshua. He gives him hope and assurance. I hope you will be an encourager today to someone.

Day 2/Chapter 2

During the 40 days of Lent I’m saturating in the book of Deuteronomy. I’m on day 2 of this journey. Writing this down each day and blogging about it has helped keep me accountable (part of the reason I’m doing it).

Chapter 2 observations
- More sun and sand as the Israelites continue journeying through the desert.
- Moses truly was a man guided by God. Verse 1 is very personal, “as the Lord had directed me.” You see how involved God is in giving guidance throughout the rest of this chapter.
- God is specific in His instructions. He commands the Israelites and Moses to pass through certain lands and leave the people alone.
- A promise from last chapter is kept. God said, in chapter 1, that He was upset with this generation and none of them would see the Promised Land (v.35). That is fulfilled as chapter 2 unwinds.
- There is a process here of getting into the Promised Land. It isn’t as easy as just walking in and taking it. There are things to do and things not to do. There are fights to fight and fights not to fight. It’s a step by step process.
- God gives the King of the Heshbon over to the Israelites. God promises to spread the word about the Israelites to other nations. Other nations will respect them.
- Despite being told to engage King Heshbon in battle (v. 24), Moses tries sending a peace delegation. This doesn’t work and the Israelites end up destroying him, his family, and his people.

Comments
I was intrigued to see how “in-tune” Moses was with God. This chapter seemed more personal, like Moses’ diary or something. He knew the where and when of God’s plan. There’s even a sense of him being the only one aware of it (v. 1). I like this. Moses speaks of God like he knows Him. He speaks with confidence about who God is and how He directs. Do you hear of many people doing that today? I’m guessing what he did in verses 26-30 was a direct result of his relationship and friendship with God. God commanded the Israelites to engage King Heshbon in battle, but Moses tried bringing about peace first. Did he know God so well that he knew God would want this? Apparently God was ok with this. I pray God would allow me to know Him like this.

I would guess that verse 30 creates problems for some people when it credits God as the one who made King Heshbon’s heart stubborn. Reminds me of what Exodus says about Pharaoh. I bet Calvinist grin from ear-to-ear over this verse, it helps defend their doctrine of predestination. However, I ask the question, “was it God that did it or was it King Heshbon who did it by not responding to God and the peace offered him from Moses?” The latter, I believe, was what Moses wanted to communicate. Just like Pharaoh in Egypt, King Heshbon refused God and so his heart was hardened. It wouldn’t make sense to say King Heshbon never had a choice. We all have a choice, this is one of the freedoms given us in creation. So, today as I journey with God may my heart be as “in-tune” as Moses’ heart was. May I know Him and trust Him.

Day 1/Chapter 1

Introduction
Lent has begun. During this Lenten season, I have chosen to spend 34 days with the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy has 34 chapters, so I plan on reading/studying/reflecting on a chapter a day and posting it here. There are 40 days to Lent, so I have some grace in there if I miss a day. Always good to have grace. :-) First, Deuteronomy isn’t a book I would normally turn to but in light of how much the New Testament, and especially Jesus (it's how He fights against Satan during His temptation in the wilderness), use this book, I have decided to dive into it.

Chapter 1 observations
- Setting for the book is the desert.
- Verses 6-10 is the instructions of Moses for the Israelites to go and “take possession” of the Promised Land. The rest of the book will be preparing them for such a task.
- Verse 10 is a reminder of what God said He would do to Abraham (Genesis 15:5).
- A reminder is give again to the Israelites that they are like a son to God (Deut 1:31).
- Chapter 1 re-hashes Israel’s story (rescued from Egypt and led to Promised Land).
- The older Israelites generation has upset God because of their disobedience (v. 35). What did He want from them? An example is given in vv. 34-36. Caleb was a man who “wholeheartedly” followed the Lord.

Comments
Already I see how important obedience is to God and blessings that come from obeying. God wanted the Israelites to trust and obey while they were conquering the Promised Land. I have a hunch that these things (obedience & blessing) will be main themes throughout this book. I also sense how intimately the Lord God was involved in their lives and in their story. He has really joined with them in their journey and become their Father. Not that God wasn’t already the eternal Father, He just wasn’t their Father. He chose to be their Father. It looks like he could have chosen to be the Father of any Nation during this time period, but He chose Israel to be His firstborn.

He reminds them of the big things He did for them (Blessing them, rescued from Egypt, help in defeating enemies, disciplining them). How could they not listen to Him and not trust Him after all the amazing things He did for them? I don’t understand that. Was it laziness on their part, an unwilling heart, a stubborn heart, fear, rejection of God, or just plain human nature that kept them from going all the way in their obedience? What keeps us from following “wholeheartedly” today? There seems to be no middle ground in following Jesus. We cant’ just say a prayer and sit down. We must say a prayer and walk with Him. With God, it’s an all the way or nothing thing. A question emerges from this. Where’s the grace? Is there already grace there, but I’m just not aware of it?

Scripture Reflection 004

Read James 1:17 here or in your own Bible.

1. What does this verse teach about God?

2. How do we know what “good gifts” are?

3. How would you define a “good gift”?

4. What are some things we don’t normally think about as being gifts from God?

5. How does this help us in our battle against evil? Does it?

Scripture Reflection 003

Temptation

Read James 1:13-15 here or in your own Bible.

1. What do these verses suggests about Satan’s role in leading us astray?

2. Does he have a role?

3. Who, if anyone, does the blame for our sin fall upon?

4. Is this fair?

Scripture Reflection 002

Reflecting on Satan’s character and ways of deceiving

Welcome friends. Below you will find some guidance for studying Genesis 3:1-5 and Isaiah 14:12-14. Keep in mind that our enemy searches, like an empty-stomached lion, for Christians to eat. We need to be constantly on our guard, for ourselves and others, and on our knees in prayer as well as in the Word daily.

Some advice: Take your time this week (there are two passages this week), read and re-read the passages during your prayer time or lunch break, chew on them throughout the day, think about what is being said, and then try and work through a question or two. If you want to dive deeper, you can access some excellent free resources online to help you in studying these passages (i.e. www.blueletterbible.org).



Guidance for studying Genesis 3:1-5

1. Read through Genesis 3:1-5 here on in your own Bible. What tactic is the Serpent using here on Adam and Eve in regards to deceiving them? Can this tell us anything about Satan’s methods of attack? Do the names “Deceiver,” “Tempter,” and “Father of lies” serve him well here?

2. What is the first thing Satan questions when talking with Eve? Why does he do this? What is behind his question to Eve? Was this a well thought out question?

3. Was Satan’s promise of what would happen to Adam and Eve if they ate of the tree kept? If yes, was Satan really lying to them then?


Guidance for studying Isaiah 14:12-14

1. Read through Isaiah 14:12-14 here on in your own Bible. Some of the early church fathers believed this passage to be descriptive of Satan and his origins. Others (e.g., John Calvin, Martin Luther) believed it to be about human pride. What prohibits a person from entering into a relationship with Jesus, Satan or pride? Why?

2. How does the statement in verse 14 compare to the Serpent’s promise to Eve in Genesis 3:5? Why would such a thing be sin?

3. In what ways is Isaiah 14:12-14 helpful in regards to spiritual warfare? Is there anything we can learn from this passage?

Scripture Reflection 001

Reflecting on Satan’s ways of trying to deceive Jesus as seen in Matthew 4:1-11

Welcome Sunday School class to Thursday Thinking! I normally post something on Thursdays here, but I’m changing that up a bit for this discussion about the Devil and C.S. Lewis. I hope you find encouragement here to get into the Word and reflect upon it deeply. You know as well as I do how rewarding that can be! If you are unsure about what to do here, I have provided some guidance below. You can try and answer a set of questions, or you can take your time and do one question a day, or just one question period. this post will be up until next Sunday. Next Monday there will be a new post related to next week’s lesson. I hope you enjoy this as much as I’m going to!

Guidance for studying Matthew 4:1-11

1. Read through Matthew 4:1-11 here or in your own Bible and try and write down the different ways in which Satan tempts Jesus. What are they? What does this tell us about Satan’s methods of attack?

2. How does Jesus defend Himself against Satan’s attacks? Were you surprised at all in regards to the book of the Old Testament Jesus uses here? What does this tell us? How does this help us know what to do when we are under attack?

3. What do we learn about Satan and his character in all of this? What type of character does he possess?

4. Why do you think Satan used scripture when he was tempting Jesus? What does this tell us about him?

5. Why would Satan tempt Jesus to turn rocks into bread? What’s wrong with Jesus doing that? What is behind Satan’s schemes?